Potter
by I Ate Your Muffin
Summary: Who would've thought that a different mindset and being the heir to a most ancient and noble house would've made such a difference? Not Voldemort nor Dumbledore, that's for sure. AU because most characters have common sense. Harry/Multi. Intelligent, powerful and competent Harry. GreaterGood Dumbledore. Further warnings inside.
1. Magical Beginnings

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Harry Potter. It belongs to J. K. Rowling, Warner Bros and Bloomsbury. I only own the original plot ideas and concepts that I implement in this piece of fiction to make it a bit more original and entertaining. Make sure to read the A/N at the end of every chapter to catch any news about the story. Enjoy!

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A few pointers before we start the chapter.

 **AU:** Magical cores are a thing. Not everyone has the same magical potential. Wizards and witches can tap into the ambient magic for the most powerful rituals and spells, but it is extremely difficult and very few can do it.

 **AU:** There are ancient and noble houses. The Sacred Twenty-Eight are such houses. House Malfoy is not one of the Sacred Twenty-Eight since they are originally from France, and the Sacred Twenty-Eight refer to the founding _British_ families of Magical Britain. The Potters, however, are a member of the Sacred Twenty-Eight, since their ancestry can be traced back to the Peverell Family, who were one of the many that led the foundation of Magical Britain.

 **AU:** Britain's Wizard/Witches Population is slightly over than 20,000, instead of just a few thousand.

I believe that's all for now. If you are not put off by the summary nor by what I established above this final message, then I truly hope you enjoy the story.

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 **Magical Beginnings**

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"Hmph, that's a look that suits you, boy."

Harry ignored the gleeful smugness radiating from his horse-faced and giraffe-necked aunt as he stared with horror into the mirror. She had cut his hair… and rendered a mess. One side of his was shaved and the other want had undulating lines shaved through it. To be completely honest, it was awful.

"I can't go to school like this!" Harry exclaimed, turning towards his cruel aunt with watering eyes behind his glasses.

She sneered. "I don't care, boy. Go to your room and make sure to wake up early so you can prepare breakfast."

Hearing the vindictiveness in her voice, Harry hurried out of the bathroom, a deep scowl on his childish face. He didn't know why his relatives treated him so bad, as he had done nothing to warrant the treatment. The just hated him for no reason. Harry wanted nothing more than to move out of this house but he was only six years old and he had nowhere to go.

He had tried to bring up the issue of his treatment to teachers in the school. They had promised to look into it to see if he was telling the truth but after a few days they seemed to lose interest, even refusing to talk to him. It was very weird but there was nothing he could do about it since it has happened multiple times already.

Harry reached his 'room', which was the cupboard under the stairs of the house. He slipped inside, closed and locked the door and laid on his bed, curled up like a baby. A few seconds later and he began to sob, wishing with all his might that the treatment from his relatives stopped. He also wished for his hair to magically grow back so he wouldn't be laughed at while in school.

Harry felt a tingling sensation on the back of his head. There was a comforting warmth running through his body and he suddenly felt more exhausted than ever before. He fell asleep, not having enough time to wonder about the bizarre occurrence.

Harry woke up the next day feeling lethargic and slightly tired, but he still rose from his bed and went outside and into the kitchen so he cpuld prepare breakfast for everyone else. He was in the middle of spreading butter into a few loafs of breads when a horrified shriek coming from the entrance of the kitchen made him jump and drop the knife and the bread.

He turned sharply and saw a pale Petunia Dursley, shaking as she pointed at his head.

"What?"

"Yo-yo-you freak! You grew your hair back! I knew you were one of them! Freak!"

Harry filled that commentary about him being 'one of them' for later. With wide eyes, he reached for his head and he smiled happily as he felt his mane of rich black hair resting on his head. He didn't know what happened, or how it was possible, but the important thing was that it had happened. Also, this probably had to do with him being 'one of them', whatever that meant, according to Aunt Petunia.

He grinner at her and she surprised him when she took a step back in fear. He filled that for later too. "Oh? I didn't notice, though, I'm glad it grew back," said Harry happily before he picked up the knife and bread he had dropped. He threw the dirty bread into the trashcan and washed the knife so he could use it to continue spreading butter on the bed.

Under the horrified eyes of Petunia Dursley, Harry continued to cook breakfast, humming a happy tune.

 **XXXXXXXXXX**

"What is the meaning of this, boy?!"

"Those are my grades, Uncle Vernon. I was in the top of my class."

Vernon Dursley skin became purple with rage. "It's impossible that you managed to get better grades than our Dudley! You must have cheated somehow!"

Harry gave Vernon an incredulous look, silently asking him if he was stupid. "I didn't cheat! I study every day and I always do my homework. Dudley just lazes around and bullies everyone else! Obviously, I'm getting better grades than him!"

Vernon roared and smacked him over the head, sending him to the floor with a pained yelp. "Stop spewing lies boys!" He seethed, his face going from purple to blue in his rage. He picked Harry up by the scruff of his neck and dragged him to his cupboard, where he shoved him in. "You will be confined here for the next week, with only water and bread to eat once a day as punishment!"

Harry grabbed his head where he had been hit, sobbing and seething as it throbbed with pain. His uncle was a big man, in every sense of the world, and his hits hurt. Not like he seemed to care since he took every chance to hit him. Luckily, he never took it too far for whatever reason. Harry was thankful for that, since he feared for his life every time Uncle Vernon got angry for some stupid reason and blamed Harry.

A few minutes later, the throbbing pain dulled enough that Harry stopped crying and he glared at the door. If Uncle Vernon refused to see the truth then Harry didn't care. He was still going to be getting the best grades he could because he wasn't about to hold himself back so his pampered pig of a cousin could feel better about himself. He was still going to do his best at school. If Uncle Vernon continued to believe that he cheated, then it was his problem for being such a daft moron.

His only worry was that he would punish him like this every month his grades were delivered to them. He refused to talk to the teachers, since thy proved to be ineffective whenever he asked for help about his home life. It was weird, and extremely suspicious, since they could help him just fine with any other thing. Sadly, he couldn't do anything about it because he was just a kid. But he hoped the situation could be solved soon.

Anyways, Harry refused to be worse than Dudley, just because his evil relatives wanted him to do so, and he decided that he could take the confinement punishment. They wouldn't bother him and he could study and read all he wanted without his cousin bothering him. His real worry was the lack of food. He had enough common sense to deduce that only having water and bread for once a day was bad for the health, and he refused to let his relatives harm him more than he did.

It took him a few minutes more, the pain coming from his head was mostly gone, to get an idea. He decided to smuggle a few snacks everyday into his 'room' just before the day the reports were sent. That way, if he hid the snacks well enough, he could have something to eat while in here. He was not going to let the Dursley's starve him when they already did so much to him. Sadly, he was going to starve this week, but he promised himself that it was going to be the first and last time it happened.

A month passed and the days preceding the reports Harry smuggled bottles of juices, crackers, sweets and cans of jam into his cupboard, where he hid them under and behind his med. His room was always dark, which helped hide the food. Thankfully his relatives never ventured inside, so he was safe to hide as much food as he wanted as long as it wasn't in plain sight from the door.

Finally, the day of the report arrived, and just like he expected, Vernon roared for him with a purple, angry face as he waved his report card around. "You cheated again, boy?! Don't you learn?! And don't you dare lie!"

Harry glared at him, making Vernon recoil slightly in fear, which Harry also filled in for later. "Those are my grades and I earned them fair and square by putting the effort Dudley doesn't," said Harry firmly. "You can ask the teachers if you want to see the truth for yourself."

Vernon turned blue. "That's it!" Roared Vernon before he smacked Harry on the head and shoved him into the cupboard, bellowing the same punishment terms as the last month when this happened.

Amidst the pain and tears, Harry smiled, though many would classify his expression as a triumphant smirk.

 **XXXXXXXXXX**

"There's the freak! Get him!"

Harry only needed to hear the aggressive and annoying voice of his cousin to jump to his feet from where he was sitting, reading a book which he tucked in between his arm and torso, and bolted. He could hear Dudley and his gang of bullies screaming insults at him but he paid them no mind and continued to run. He was used to be insulted so it was easy to ignore them.

Dudley had not agreed with Harry's refusal to do worse than him and had taken upon himself to make Harry's life miserable. He made sure that no one became his friend by bullying and tormenting those that attempted to. And lastly, he had taken to play what he referred as 'Harry Hunting', with his friends. Harry wasn't amused and was quickly growing annoyed by it.

He couldn't confront Dudley and his goons since they surpassed him in numbers and if that wasn't enough, they were all taller than him by a few inches. His only saving grace was that he was faster than almost all of them except for Pierce Polkins, who matched his running speed. Because of this, Harry usually got away before they beat him up, but there were a few times where he had been caught and kicked and punched all over his body.

That needed to stop, but Harry couldn't think of a permanent solution. Dudley didn't bully him in school, as the few times he had attempted to do so had ended up with him being punished by the teachers. Nor he did so in the house since Harry spent all the time in his cupboard, which Dudley refused to even approach.

The thing is that Harry loathed to depend on others, much less the Dursley's, whenever he wanted to solve an issue about himself since over and over those he sought for help failed him and everything he had managed to do in order to make his life a little easier and more bearable was because he had taken matters into his own hands. Because of this, Harry knew that the only way he could get things done was for him to do them himself.

Harry felt Pierce nearing him and he quickly realized that he was not going to reach the house in time to lock himself up in his cupboard, where he would be left alone. As he ran, Harry wished with all of his might to be somewhere else, somewhere were Dudley, or anyone else, wouldn't find him. As he rounded a corner, Harry felt a weirdly familiar tingling on the back of his head and more weirdly familiar sensation spreading through his body.

Suddenly, his perception turned to mush and all of his senses screamed in discomfort as he felt like his body was being sucked through a straw. Then, as soon as it happened it stopped, and Harry was left kneeling, feeling nauseous and panting with his face colored a disgusting green.

"What in… the bloody… hell… was that?"

Harry groaned as his desire to throw up receded slowly, thankful for the fact that he had eaten a few hours ago and there was nothing in his stomach which could be thrown back out. He noticed the book he had been reading was a few feet away from him and he stood up in order to get it, but when he did so, he noticed a particular detail. He was not in the sidewalk of this street, but rather in one of the rooftops of said street.

His eyes widened and he quickly picked up his book and peered over the edge of the roof. He caught a glimpse of Dudley and his gang looking around the opposite side of the street from where he was. He made sure he remained unseen until the finally got fed up with looking for him and walked away to do what bullies did on their free time, whatever that was.

Harry sighed in relief and sat on the rooftop for a second, collecting his thoughts.

' _Did I just teleport here?'_ Harry thought.

That was the only explanation he could come up with. One moment he had been on the corner opposite of where he was and the next one he was on this rooftop. He was also aware of the fact that he had wished to be somewhere else before he 'teleported' and he was also aware of the tingling sensation on the back and the unnatural but comforting warmth, which for some reason where familiar to him, that enveloped his body before it happened.

This wasn't the first nor the second time something weird had happened around him. The first time had been when Petunia had cut his hair and it had grown back by the next morning. The other time was when the hair of a teacher disappeared after he angered him for accusing him of something he had not done. This was the third time something inexplicable happened around him.

' _Hm, I think I can also chalk this up to me being 'one of them'. But what about that tingling and warmth? And why did it feel so familiar?'_ There was no denying now that Harry wasn't normal, as he clearly had some kind of power. Maybe, Petunia and Vernon knew about it and it was the reason they hated him. It certainly would explain Petunia's horrified expression when she noticed his hair was back and the two-weeks-long punishment Vernon had forced on him after the incident with the teacher.

With their obsession with being normal, it made sense that they hated him for being different and having this power. Knowing this gave Harry a sense of closure and all the anger and hate he felt for the Durley's slowly began to bleed away to give space for complete and utter apathy. Now that he knew the reason for their hate, Harry felt that the Durley's were only worth the roof, food and education they reluctantly provided.

' _Maybe… maybe I can use this to my advantage.'_ That much was obvious. He had red enough comics, which he had taken for himself when Dudley threw them away, to know that when one had power, one needed to learn to control it. His own power apparently was tied to his emotions and what he wanted, according to this incident and the one with the teacher. He deduced that what happened to his hair could be counted as well since he had not wanted to go to school with his hair like that.

That moment, Harry decided to start experimenting with his newfound power. He didn't know how long it was going to take him to master it but he was resolute to put as much time as he could into getting control of it. And also, he promised himself, that when mastered his powers, he would teach the Durley's not to mess with him anymore. He didn't care about them whatsoever but they were still going to be treating him badly. And as long as that continued, which he knew it would, the desire to give them a lesson would stay with him.

"But first," muttered Harry as he stood up. "I need to find a way down."

 **XXXXXXXXXX**

Dudley smiled with glee as he and his friends continued to kick and punch the defenseless dog that was curled up in the floor, whimpering in pain.

They were in one of the many parks that could be found in Surrey, specifically in a part of the park that he knew was very rarely frequented, meaning that he and his friend could get away with some fun without being found out by adults. While it wasn't his freak of a cousin, this mutt would do until they could get their hands on the freak.

He didn't know why he hated and wanted to inflict as much pain and suffering on his cousin, but he had seen his parents do it so he decided that it was the right thing to do. He bullied him every chance he got to do it, though he had to stop when he was punished too many times in school. He would also like to torment him while in the house but the freak never left his cupboard, and his mum and dad always told him to never go in there.

He had devised to game of Harry Hunting to get revenge on him for getting better grades than him and to get his friends on the fun, and they had eagerly agreed to play. Sadly, and he loathed to admit it, the freak was fast and smart and he managed to lose them more times than not, and when they caught up to him they could only rough him up a bit before an adult came and separated them. But in the past months things have changed and it made him feel uncomfortable.

He only saw the freak at breakfast, at school and at dinner. Outside of those times, the freak was nowhere to be seen. When he spoke to his mum and dad, they told him that he was likely on the library or on his room, which angered Dudley, since he didn't dare to go to the library and the freaks room was prohibited to him, which he understood since the freakishness could be contagious.

Dudley and his gang laughed as they continued to beat on the dog and jus when Dudley decided to stomp on his head something hard smacked him on the face and he gave a high-pitched yell of pain as he dropped to the ground. He heard his friends also yelping in pain and the sound of flesh being smacked by something hard. He caught a glimpse of a small, gray and red blur from the corner of his eyes but when turned his eyes to follow it there was nothing.

He groaned, tears dripping from his eyes as he felt his right cheek wet, warm and pulsing with pain. He heard the dog whimper again before it shot to its feet and ran away into the woods of the park. But Dudley didn't pay attention to that as he put his on his cheek, only to wince when it pulsed painfully. He pulled his hand back and his beady eyes widened when he saw the blood smeared on his fingers.

"Wha-what?"

He turned towards his whimpering and groaning friends only to see gashes on their cheek gushing blood. His trembled for a few seconds. What had happened? The had been just fine when all of the sudden they were attacked! That was extremely weir-

Dudley's eyes widened before his turned purple with rage. "I'll kill him!" He bellowed before he began to make his way back home as fast as he could, which wasn't much. He covered his wound with his hand so nobody could see it nor the blood. He did receive a few looks but none moved to stop him.

When he arrived at his house he opened the door and moved towards the living room, where he found his parents. "Mum! Dad! The freak this did to me!" He whined, removing his hand from his face and showing them the wound, which was more painful than anything else really.

Petunia gasped with horrified shock as she paled.

Vernon paled before he turned purple. "I'll show him!"

Vernon and Petunia led Dudley towards the cupboard under the stairs and Vernon opened the door harshly, expecting not to see the boy since he knew that Dudley had been at the park and the only way for the boy to have done this was not to be in his room when he was supposed to be.

Imagine their surprise and shock when they saw Harry sitting on his bed, reading from a book and writing on a notebook that was next to book he was reading.

He gave them a flat stare. "What?"

Vernon was almost blue as he puffed up, looking fatter because of this. "You dare harm my son!"

Harry gave Dudley a look and his eyes widened in surprise when he saw the wound on Dudley's cheek. "Oh! That looks nasty. But I didn't do it. If you weren't aware, you grounded me for the rest of the month for wanting to see a magic show on the television," said Harry, his sarcasm missed by no one.

"Watch your tone, boy!" Screeched Petunia.

Harry shrugged. "I didn't do it," he said simply before he went back to his homework, ignoring them with the ease of years of practice.

Vernon wanted nothing more than to strangle the little shite and burry his body somewhere but sadly, doing that would result on his death and the death of his family, which was something he was not going to allow. Besides, he had no prove other than Dudley's word that it had been Harry. His son didn't tell lies so it must've been him. In the end, Vernon grunted, gave the boy another warning, hateful glare before he closed the door to the cupboard.

The moment the door was closed Harry smirked victoriously as he leaned back into the wall of his 'room'. His brow furrowed for a few second sin concentration and from under his bed a bloodied stone floated out and hovered a foot away from his face. He narrowed his eyes at the stone and focused more on it for a few long seconds and suddenly, the stone disappeared as if it never had been there.

Harry's smirk only widened.

It had taken him a bit more than four months but he finally had what he considered a decent grasp of his powers. He could do four things: He could control things with his mind, he could expel a controlled force of power from his hand that pushed things back, he could make things disappear and reappear and he could teleport. His powers worked like a muscle, the more you used them the more effective they became.

For example, at first, he could only use his psychokinesis to levitate small pebbles for a few seconds, now he was capable of using a bigger rock to pummel bullies into the ground. His power push at first could only rattle a few leaves from a tree and now he was sure that he could move Vernon's car if he tried. He could only make disappear and appear really small things at first but now he could do so to his mattress.

Teleporting was the one that took him the most time to use on will and it was his most difficult skill at the moment. At first, he could only do it two times per day and he would feel incredibly lazy but with practice he had extended the amount of times to ten if he was only teleporting and he no longer felt like throwing up when he did it. And each passing week, it became easier and easier to use his powers.

Soon enough, the Dursley's will know to not mess with him.

' _Hm, who would have thought? The first time Dudley tells the truth and no one believes him. How ironic.'_

 **XXXXXXXXXX**

Vernon Dursley was not an intelligent man, but he was perceptive and he could notice things that most people didn't. It was the reason why in spite of his lack of common sense and intelligence he had managed to get a decent job at Grunnings and maintain it, even though he did a slightly subpar job. There was also his sucking up to his boss but that was another story altogether.

It was this perceptive nature that allowed him to see the change the freak had underwent in the past few years.

When the freak had been brought in by that bloody old man, he had been angry. He did not want to have anything to do with the freak and his people. The stories his dear Petunia told him of them were enough to make him loathe and fear them. But when the old man had brought in the freak, explained that Petunia's sister and her husband had been killed. That they were in danger because the killer had been the leader of a sect that had somehow perished when he tried to kill the freak and now the followers of the leader were seeking revenge against anyone that was related to the Potters, which unfortunately included them. And that the only way to keep them save was to have the freak living with them, since he could power magical protection that would keep those other freaks at bay.

He had no other choice but comply.

His anger had fostered and naturally, he had taken it on the freak, since he was the cause of all of his problems. It didn't matter that they were receiving money from the old man to pay for everything the freak needed. Vernon used that money on his son, who actually deserved it on his opinion. It filled him with satisfaction to see the freak at his lowest whenever he punished him and forced him into his cupboard.

But in the past few years, he had noticed a change in the freak's demeanor. It all began when he had refused to get grades lower than Dudley. His insults and punishments seemed to not affect the freak and the starving him didn't seem to work, as the freak was the epitome of a healthy child of almost eleven years old except for that ugly scar on his forehead and his need to use glasses. That scared him, since it was likely that his freakishness was helping him, even though he was sure the freak didn't know about it.

In the past two years, however, he had noticed that he only saw the freak during breakfast and during the dinner when he prepared those meals and when it was time for his monthly punishment for getting better grades than Dudley. He spent the majority of his time inside his cupboard or out of the house until it was time for him to come back to prepare their dinner.

It worried Vernon immensely, because he could see an air of confidence and assurance around the freak the he knew he shouldn't have with the way he had been treated by them. He knew that it was the freakishness at work. He wanted nothing more than punch it out of him but he found he couldn't act the same way with him because there was something stopping him.

Fear.

Yes, Vernon wouldn't admit it to anyone one but he feared the freak, now even more because of his change. Who knew what he was capable of? Every time he was around the freak he could feel his hairs standing up all over his body and dread on the pit of his stomach. Petunia claimed that she also felt like that around him. The worse part was that the freak didn't seem to notice and acted innocent. It was maddening.

"Let's go! The zoo should be open by now!"

Vernon watched as his wife, Dudley, his friend Pierce and the freak climbed into his car. Normally, he wouldn't have taken the boy with them to celebrate Dudley's birthday, but Vernon felt like he needed to keep an eye on the freak. God knew what he would get up to if left alone.

 **XXXXXXXXXX**

Petunia Dursley was not a nice and pleasant woman, completely unlike how tried to portray and think of herself.

In her youth Petunia had been a nice enough girl, a little vain, but nice. That changed when her sister Lily turned out to be a witch and impossibly beautiful, while Petunia continued to be normal and plain. Jealousy grew within Petunia and that jealousy soon turned into hate when Lily had married James Potter, a rich and influential member of their world, and Petunia had to marry Vernon, who was not as impressive to say the least.

She always resented Lily and she wasn't ashamed to admit to at least herself that when the news of her demise reached her, there was a deep satisfaction within her. There was also a pang of guilt and regret, but it was overshadowed by the satisfaction and those emotions were due to how close Lily and she had been in their childhood. The happiness that came with her sister's death only lasted for a few seconds as he was forced to take care of her freakish brood.

Every time she laid eyes on the freak she was reminded of everything she had desired but could never have. He had Lily's eyes and her intelligence and his father's handsome features. And if that wasn't enough, in spite of how they treated him, the freak was well-mannered when he wasn't being a sarcastic freak and he never tried to defy them. She liked to think that it was because he feared them but she doubted that. Like Vernon, she had noticed that he was too confident of himself. And like Vernon, it scared her.

"AAAAAAHHH!"

Petunia paled and her eyes widened in terror when she her Dudders screamed in horror.

She turned around only to pale even further as she saw Dudley and his friends Pierce inside the snake cage, trapped. She then noticed that the anaconda was out. She wached as the anaconda slithered towards the freak, who was sprawled on the floor and was looking shocked. Her eyes widened when the snake looked at the freak in the eye, flicked its tongue and nodded at him before it continued to slither away.

"What did you do, freak?!" She screeched at him.

Harry turned towards her with eyes wide incredulity. "The hell are you talking about?! I didn't do anything! Dudley and Pierce just fell into the cage and the snake escaped somehow. How am I responsible of that? Do I have magic power of something?"

Petunia flinched and took a step back as her heart skipped a beat. She only managed to catch glint in his eyes before Vernon grabbed the freak from the scruff of his neck and began to drag him away. When she managed to calm herself, she ran to get a zoo caretaker in order to get Dudley and his friend out of the cage.

She knew that the freak had something to do with this. It was the only logical explanation, considering that she knew what his kind was capable of. And this was the last straw.

 **XXXXXXXXXX**

Vernon shoved Harry so hard into the house that he felt to the floor and smacked his head against it.

Vernon was blue with rage. "You bloody freak! It seems like my punishments weren't enough to stop you from doing freaky things so asked for this!" He shouted before he stomped towards Harry and raised his fist to punch him.

Petunia watched, glee surging within her, as Vernon brought down his fist to strike the freak's head only for her eyes to widen when the freak disappeared from the floor and appeared standing next to the door of his cupboard, a scowl on his face and his emerald eyes glinting.

She paled as horror griped her.

"Enough," said Harry and he raised his hand and made grasping motion in Vernon's direction. Vernon only had time to pale before something invisible grasped him around his throat, cutting off his access to oxygen and lifting him almost nonchalantly into the air.

As Vernon went from white to purple, but this time for different reasons, Harry looked into his eyes. "I am sick of the way you treat me, only because of these powers I have." When their eyes widened he smirked. "Oh yes, I have known about them for a few years now. You can thank Ickle Dudleykins for that," he said mockingly as he saw his cousin trembling and wetting his pants as he hid behind Petunia.

Harry scoffed in disdain. "I've been practicing, you know? Ever since I became aware of them I've tried my damnest to control them and guess what? I can control them very, very well," he said, a smirk on his face.

The terror within the Dursley grew as a knife floated from the kitchen and arranged itself until it was pointed straight at Vernon's head, who had also wet his pants and his face was colored a very pale purple.

Harry scowled. "The way you treat me ends now. The only reason you are alive is because you are so beneath me notice and caring that ruining my life because of you would be a waste. And the only reason I haven't left is because I have nowhere else to go. Because of that, why don't we try to make things easier for all of us, yes?"

Harry's scowl turned into a kind smile. "I will move my things into the room Dudley uses to keeps the toys he no longer uses. From now on, I will be only preparing my own meals. There won't be more 'punishments'. As a matter of fact, don't even talk to me. I want nothing more than to leave this place. The only thing I demand from you is that you buy me decent clothes, keep paying for my education and keep food in the house so I can eat. If you can follow those three things I promise that we are not going to have an incident like this again and I'll be out of your lives as soon as I can legally get a job."

Harry then eased his hand and Vernon, whose face was turning a pale blue, took a deep breath as he no longer was being choked. But he was still being help in the air. He screamed in pain when he was shoved against the wall and he almost shit himself when the knife that had been floating and pointed to his face was impaled into the wall right next to his face.

Harry was still smiling. "Are we clear, Vernon, Petunia?"

Dudley, trembling, cried and shat himself.

Petunia passed out.

Vernon, gripped with terror, could only shakily nod his head.

 **XXXXXXXXXX**

The Deputy Headmistress of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Minerva McGonagall, sat behind her desk leaning her aged back into the comfort of her trusty chair. There was a glass filled with fire whiskey, a favorite brand of hers, with a contemplating look in her wizened and slightly wrinkled face.

"Ah how time passes," she murmured lightly, her slightly high-pitched voice pleasant as she looked melancholic. Today was the 15th of July of 1991, almost ten years since the vanquishing of the Dark Lord Voldemort. Minerva shuddered in place as terror gripper her heart at the mere thought of that monster. Her magic responded to her distress however and she calmed down as warmth coursed through her body, comforting her.

She took a sip of her alcoholic beverage and swirled it around, a mournful look on her face. Those had been very dark times. The Dark Lord bathed with terror the magical and muggle lands of Britain for many years and that was something that will always stay within the hearts of those who lived through that time period and were still alive to tell the stories of how they lived constantly with the fear of even thinking the name of the dreaded Dark Lord.

Minerva chuckled bitterly. "And yet, it was a babe who saved us all from him."

Minerva recalled that night vividly. How Albus had frantically come into her quarters to tell her that Potter Manor in Godric's Hollow was being attacked, how they had stormed into the violated house to first see James' dead body slumped against the wall, how they had gone up the stairs and into one of the rooms to see Lily's also dead body on the ground next to a black robe and finally how the green eyes of Lily stared at her, glowing slightly, from the upset and crying face of Harry James Potter, a brightly glowing scar in the shape of a lightning bolt clearly on his forehead.

The worn and weary Deputy Headmistress chuckled bitterly as she finished her beverage. "And to this day I don't know how you convinced me that leaving him with them was the safest option, Albus," she said with a scoff as she filled back her glass.

After the news of Sirius' betrayal reached them, Albus had decided that Harry would be safest in the muggle side of Britain with Lily's direct sister, who was aware of magic but couldn't use it. Minerva knew what kind of people they were and what kind of relationship Petunia had with her sister and that was why she had vehemently objected on leaving Harry there but Albus had made a convincing and logical point and his promise of setting wards around the house had sealed the deal.

The past ten years thoughts of Harry were a constant for Minerva, and how could she not think about his wellbeing? James had been her favorite student, prankster and bullying tendencies being taken into account and she had been rather close with Lily, who was the most brilliant witch of her generation. She had wanted many times to check on Harry, but Albus' orders of wanting to keep the boy ignorant about the magical world, for Harry's protection the Headmaster had claimed, and her own duties inside and out of school prevented that.

A small, happy smile grew on her face and her eyes shone with barely repressed happiness. "But finally, the time has come for him to come to Hogwarts," she reminded herself eagerly as she took another sip from her drink.

She had personally written and sent his acceptance letter. She had been very happy when she had seen his name on the Book of Students appearing and next to it the very specific address of where he lived. She was glad when he saw that he was living in a normal room, instead of the attic or, Merlin forbid, a cupboard under some. She wouldn't put it above the Dursleys to do something like that.

His response would be arriving anytime now and the past days she had been sure to spend as much time as she could inside her office, where responses to the acceptance letters were directed. She had already received many responses and had introduced a few muggles to the Wizarding world, but the one she was looking forward to the most was of course Harry Potter. It was the least she could for James and Lily, who sacrificed their lives and quite possibly the happiness of their child for the sake of others who never thanked them.

She perked up when she saw a brown school owl flying through the window of her office and she hurriedly stood up from her chair and walked towards the amused looking owl, who stretched its leg, presenting a white rolled parchment of sheet. Minerva took it from the owl and absently used her wand to direct some treats towards it as she opened the letter and began to read. She was pleased and surprised at the neat and legible handwriting that greeted her and even more at whom had sent the letter.

 _Dear Professor McGonagall,_

 _I must admit that if it weren't for the fact that I had been aware of the strange powers I had for a few years now I would've burned this letter and thought of it as a joke._

 _I also have to admit that it surprised me that these powers of mine are actually magical in nature because I thought they were some kind of mutation in my genes or something similar. It took me some time to get the hang of them but I believe I've barely scratched the surface of what I can do if there is a school solely dedicated to cultivating and refinement of magic._

 _I am very eager to attend this school and I wish to learn more about magic and everything that can be done with it. My relatives have already approved of me going to Hogwarts and I am eagerly waiting for a more personal introduction._

 _Yours truly,_

 _Harry Potter._

With wide eyes Minerva reread the letter and she couldn't believe what her eyes were telling her. Harry was already aware of his magical power and apparently knew how to control it wandlessly somehow. And if his words were true, and Minerva was inclined to believe him because he had no reason to lie, then that meant that Harry Potter had more magical potential than anyone that had been recorded in recent history.

She also noticed how he called the Dursley's his relatives and how it was him who responded and not Petunia nor Vernon and that worried her.

She was about to call for the Headmaster but she stopped before shaking her head. Albus had made a mistake in leaving Harry with the Durley's and there was nothing she could've done about it. But now there was something she could do and must do to correct that mistake, because it was her duty as Deputy Headmistress. With a resolute nod of her head, she pocketed her wand and walked outside of her office.

 **XXXXXXXXXX**

The doorbell suddenly rang, startling the Dursley family who were not expecting any guests.

Petunia was about to stand up to get the door but she paled when she saw her nephew looking at her from the door that separated the main hallway of the house and the living room. "It's for me. Don't bother. I will be back in the evening."

He paid her no further mind and answered the door. There was a formidable looking woman standing there and the only thing that betrayed her age were the wrinkles on her face and the strands of gray hair that could be seen as her head was covered by a pointed hat. She was also wearing black robes with red and gold accents.

The woman smiled at him. "Mister Potter, I presume."

"Yes," answered Harry with a nod. "Professor McGonagall?"

"I'd like a word with your Aunt and Uncle before we depart, Mister Potter."

The strained smile Harry gave them didn't bode well. "Oh, there might be a problem with that, Professor. They haven't been very responsive since my Hogwarts letter arrived. The look very scared. I think they fear magic or something. I don't think it would be a good idea if a someone as impressive as you faced them. I doubt they'll take it well. Though I promise the have allowed me to attend Hogwarts."

Feeling flattered, Minerva peered into his emerald eyes She was reminded of Lily, both in their color and the intelligence and conviction they held. She smiled. "If that's the case then we must make haste, Mister Potter. We have much to do and not enough time."

Harry's smile was more genuine now. "Lead the way, Professor."

 **XXXXXXXXXX**

"You mentioned in your letter that you have been aware of your magic for quite some time now, but that you weren't aware of their true nature. I'm concerned, Mister Potter. You could've hurt yourself while experimenting unsupervised with them," said Minerva, her voice stern but gentle.

Harry teared his eyes away from the Nimbus 2000 that was on display and smiled disarmingly at the teacher. "Yes. I became aware of them when I found myself on top of a rooftop after escaping from my cousin and his gang when they were tormenting me."

Minerva paused and looked at him with wide blue eyes. "Your first bout of accidental magic was apparition?!" She asked, her voice shrill. She thanked her foresight of putting all kinds of privacy charms on Harry and her, otherwise they would've been swarmed by now.

Harry tilted his head. "Apparition? So that's what you call teleporting, huh?" To be honest, he found it silly. While you did apparate on a new place when you teleported, the term only covered that part of the action. To teleport also covered the fact that you weren't in the original place you started anymore.

Hence, Teleportation was more apt a term than Apparition.

Minerva blanched. "You can apparate wandlessly?!" Her voice was now incredulous.

Harry chuckled nervously. "Erm, yes?" His voice was slightly unsure. "At first it was hard and I could only do it two times per day. Now I can do it pretty much as many times I want. I can do other things too. I can use my magic to control things with my mind. I can send a force of magic that pushes things back depending on the amount of magic I use. And I can make things appear and disappear out of thin air. Making things appear is way more difficult, though."

Minerva's jaw was seemingly unhinged.

Harry Potter, without knowing about magic, was capable of Apparition, a form of levitation she had never heard of, conscious and adjustable magical flares and Conjuration and Vanishment. She didn't know of any adult wizard who could do that. It was unprecedented, but it she suddenly felt giddiness she hadn't felt since her own time at Hogwarts. Harry Potter's talent and potential was more than what she could've imagined and in that moment, she decided that it just couldn't go to waste.

She composed herself and gave him a stern look. "While that is extremely impressive, and unheard of, I suggest you keep those abilities to yourself for now, Mister Potter. Using magic in muggle areas is prohibited to minors by law and doing so could earn you life sentence in Azkaban. You do not want to go there, I assure you. You are in luck that the Ministry of Magic can keep track of wandless magic. Also, Apparition is illegal unless you are an adult and have a license for it."

Harry didn't like the sound of that. "Students can't use magic in the mundane world?" He didn't like the word muggle. He thought it insulting.

Minerva nodded sharply.

"And can it be used in magical communities by minors?"

"Yes."

Harry frowned deeply. "So, you are telling me that I won't be able to practice using magic out of Hogwarts, but student that live in the magical side of our Britain have that luxury. That's… unfair." He really wanted to use another word, but he thought it unpolite to do so in front of a professor.

Minerva sighed. "Most unfortunately, Mister Potter. Magical Britain is ruled by the referred as Pureblooded Families: wizards and witches that had have magical generations continuously for hundreds of years. Sadly, most of those families have a deep disdain for muggleborns, first generation witches and wizards, and half-bloods, children birthed from a pureblood and a muggle or a muggleborn, who are extremely disliked by the way."

Harry scowled, not liking the implications. "Then I will likely be bullied by those so-called purebloods since I am a muggleborn, right?" He was starting to regret accepting to come to Hogwarts. He wasn't going to change one hell for another. Not when he had thought that he was escaping the first one.

Minerva's eyes widened, recognizing the tone. "Most certainly not, Mister Potter!" She exclaimed. "You are not a muggleborn, but rather a half-blood. You father was James Potter, Lord of the Most Ancient and Noble House of Potter, one of the most prominent magical families of our society. And your mother was Lily Evans, a muggleborn that was easily the most brilliant and formidable witch of her generation. And there is your not-insignificant fame to consider."

Harry's eyebrows disappeared into his messy hair. "My parents were wizards?! The Dursley's told they were drunks who died in a car crash and that it was how I got this scar. And what do you mean when you say, 'my fame'?"

"Drunks… car crash… I'll turn them into fish and feed them to a cat…" Minerva muttered angrily before she got a hold of her indignation and anger and focused on the bewildered young man. "Indeed, Mister Potter, your parents were the quite formidable wizard and witch. Your father was an Auror, a police wizard if you would, and had a talent for Transfiguration that surpassed my own. And there wasn't anything your mother couldn't do with a wand. She was that brilliant."

Harry smiled, feeling warm inside, glad that his parents weren't how the Dursley portrayed them. "And what about my 'fame'?"

Minerva grimaced. "That's…. not as pleasant, Mister Potter. The death of your parents is directly related to your fame," she said, voice sorrowful. "During Hallowe'en, ten years ago, the Dark Lord Vo-Voldemort, who had been terrorizing magical and muggle Britain for years, attempted to murder you and your parents since James and Lily opposed him. Nobody knows exactly what happened, but that night Voldemort killed your parents and when he attempted to kill you the Unblockable Killing Curse, you were left with that scar and the only trace of the Dark Lord were his robes. Most believe him dead, but I believe he was weakened and has spent all this time scheming and waiting to regain his strength."

Harry felt a pang of sadness but it was overshadowed by the anger he felt. "Why would he attempt to kill me? I was just a baby."

Minerva shook her head. "Nobody knows, Mister Potter. The Dark Lord was known to be insane and his reasoning didn't make sense at the best of times. What is known is that only person alive who has ever survived the Killing Curse, which is why you are known across Britain as the Boy-Who-Lived. Your appearance is quite known and the only reason we aren't being mobbed right now is because of the several privacy charms I casted on us."

Harry scowled. "I am the Boy-Who-Lived because my parents didn't, huh?" He ignored Minerva's wince. "If I am the son of the head of a pureblood family, why was I raised by muggles?"

"The Dark Lord had followers, and they were seeking revenge for what happened to their leader." She then gave him an apologetic look. "Albus Dumbledore, the Headmaster of Hogwarts and leader of the organization that directly opposed the Dark Lord, took you to your relatives since in the muggle world you would be protected by anonymity and wards designed to prevent any wizard and witch with harmful intent from finding and entering the house. I… I… tried to convince him to not do it, since I knew how Petunia and Vernon viewed us, but Albus didn't listen and left you there, claiming that it was the safest place for you."

Harry's eyes narrowed. "And what kind of authority has Headmaster Dumbledore over me to make such decisions?"

"He is your magical guardian."

"Who named him that?"

"Magic itself. When a wizard or a witch who is a minor become aware of their magic in Britain, the acting Headmaster of Hogwarts is given magical guardianship over them until they are adults. Normally this only applies to muggleborns, but since your parents were killed and there wasn't anyone willing to take you in for fear of the Dark Lord's followers…"

"He became my magical guardian," finished Harry. "So, the wizards and witches of Magical Britain adore me for stopping a Dark Lord, who also killed my parents by the way, but are unwilling to offer me asylum in fear of retaliation from the followers of said Dark Lord. And if that isn't enough, the Headmaster of the school I'm not so sure I want to attend anymore, who is supposed to assure my wellbeing, left me in a place where he knew it was likely that I was going to be abused." He peered into Minerva's eyes sharply. "You are not doing a good job in convincing me to assist Hogwarts, Professor."

Minerva winced again. "I am well aware of it." Her eyes sharpened and she gazed at him intently. "However, I refuse to not have you aware of the new world you might be entering, Mister Potter. I owe your father and mother no less. You are the Boy-Who-Lived. You are the son of a prominent Pureblood House. There is a lot you must live up to and I vehemently refuse to keep you unware of our flaws." She then grasped his shoulder and smiled. "You have a lot of potential, Harry. More than anyone I have ever met, tp be completely honest. I'd hate to see it go to waste, but I will not risk your life if I can help it."

Harry saw the earnest sincerity in her eyes and nodded. "Thank you, Professor McGonagall." He smiled. "You don't know how much I appreciate you being honest with me. All my life I have been lied to. I… I… thank you." Minerva didn't know it, but she had just earned Harry Potter's trust.

"Anytime, Mister Potter. Anytime."

Harry inclined his head and they walked through Diagon Alley's busy streets, dodging frantic wizards and witches, for a few seconds in silence before Harry asked another question.

"What happened to the followers of the Dark Lord? Is it really safe for me to come here?"

Minerva nodded slowly. "Of course, Mister Potter. The followers of the Dark Lord that willingly supported him were apprehended and are now serving life in Azkaban. There were others who were under the Imperius Curse, a dark spell that allows you to take control completely over a person. Those were quickly investigated and found innocent and they have proved to be upstanding members of our society."

"Hm." Harry wasn't entirely convinced but he was willing to give her the benefit of the doubt, since she had been honest with him. He smiled at her. "If that's the case then I will attend Hogwarts. Magic fascinates me and I want to find out everything that can be done with it. I feel like I have barely scratched the surface of what I can do with it."

Minerva returned the smile. "Then let us head to Gringotts Bank so you can get your galleons in order to buy your school supplies."

Harry furrowed his brow in confusion. "Galleons? Is that the currency in the magical side of Britain?"

Minerva just smiled as they neared a crooked building made of marble, gold and silver.

 **XXXXXXXXXX**

"Harry James Potter?"

Harry shifted from side to side nervously. "Erm, yes?"

"We of Gringotts Bank have been trying to contact you for almost one year without success. Our eagles weren't able to find you, which is worrying since there are a few things that can prevent a Gringotts's eagle from finding its target."

Harry turned towards the bewildered Minerva before he focused on the goblin, who looked ready to eat him whole. "Well, that is, I have been living with my muggle relatives ever since my parents died. I was told that Headmaster Dumbledore put… wards, yes, wards around the house to protect me from being targeted by the followers of the Dark Lord. Could they have interfered somehow?"

The goblin snarled. "Of course not! Mere protection wards cannot prevent a Gringotts' eagle from reaching you. If you could provide us with the address to where you have been living in the past ten years, we could conduct a thorough investigating on this 'protection wards' and determine if they were interfering or not."

Harry smiled. "Of course. Number 4, Privet Drive, Little Whinging, Surrey."

"Thank you."

Minerva coughed into her hand. "Excuse me, Master Teller, would it be possible for Mister Potter here to get access to his trust vault so he can extract the money he needs to buy his school supplies? She asked politely. Unlike most wizards and witches, she respected the goblins and feared their tendency to poke things with pointy and sharp things.

"Do you have his key?"

Minerva reached into her robes and produced a golden key. "I do."

"Give it to him. When Harry James Potter finishes his business with us, he will have the opportunity to extract his galleons."

Minerva looked confused for a moment before her eyes shone with realization. "Oh! Of course. How silly of me to forget about that," she said with a chuckle before she handed a nervous Harry they key to his trust vault. "Don't worry, Mister Potter, You are not in trouble. Remember that I told you that you were a member of one of the most prominent families in magical Britain?"

"Yes?"

"This probably has to do with that, am I correct?"

The goblin nodded sharply.

Minerva smiled and put a reassuring hand on Harry's shoulder. "See. Don't need to be nervous. Now, I have my own business to conduct here. I will tend to those while you solve your own here. We will meet at the entrance of the bank, understood?"

Harry nodded, pocketing the key. "Yes, ma'am."

Minerva gave his shoulder a light squeeze, before she inclined her head to the goblin and walked away to talk with another teller.

"Follow me, Harry James Potter."

Harry nodded at the goblin, who proceeded to lead him further into the bank. They reached a decorated hallway that was decorated with what looked like mahogany, rubies and sapphires incrusted along the length of the walls. There was also a red velvet carpet on the floor.

They eventually reached a door made of darkish brown wood. The goblin nocked on the door a few times and stepped back. When the door was opened, a goblin that looked more savage than the one that was leading him appeared from behind the door, wearing a stylish green tuxedo that somehow suited him.

They began to talk gibberish for a few seconds before the first goblin pointed at him. The eyes of the other goblin focused sharply on him and Harry shifted nervously again. Eventually, the tuxedo-wearing goblin spoke more gibberish to the first one, nodded at him and dismissed him with a wave of his hand.

Harry nodded at the goblin, who was leaving. "Erm, thank you, Master Teller."

The goblin grinned. "May your pockets be forever filled with galleons, Harry James Potter," he said before walking away.

Harry turned towards the tuxedo wearing goblin, who grinned nastily at him, before beckoning him into the room. Harry, feeling like he was going to be eaten, had no other choice but to enter. He found the office to be stylish and practical, but no ostentatious, which spoke well for the goblin that used it. He took a seat in one of the comfortable timber and padded chairs and watched as the goblin hoped into his leather one.

"The situation has been explained to me, Harry James Potter. You can relax. You have not offended us nor are you in any danger from us."

Harry thought his grin implied otherwise. "That's good, I guess?" He said unsurely before he did his best to get comfortable and relaxed his postures. "The Master Teller said that I had business with Gringotts."

The goblin nodded. "Ah, yes. But before we get to that, I'd like to confirm your identity through magical methods. I doubt Minerva McGonagall would bring an imposter, nor do I think an imposter would be able to fool her, but these procedures cannot be skipped." The goblin reached into his desk and produced a very sharp knife incrusted with many gleaming gems and a piece of paper. "You must prick your index finger of your dominant hand with that knife and let exactly seven drops of blood to fall on the parchment. The knife is enchanted to close the wound after you turn your hand palm up."

Harry nodded in understanding and he used the knife to prick himself on the index finger of his right hand and let seven drops of blood to fall on the parchment before he turned his hand palm up and he saw the small wound close instantly.

Harry set the knife back on the table and he watched as the droplets of blood disappeared into the parchment without dirtying it and a second later, words began to appear. Harry saw a genealogical tree appearing and he saw weird words such as Peverell and Stinchcombe next to right on the top before Potter began to appear.

He trailed the tree down until he found his parent's names, his father's name under Charlus Potter and Dorea Potter nee Black, and smiled before he looked further down until he saw his name and blinked at the words beneath them.

 _Harry James Potter_

 _Heir to the Most Ancient and Noble House of Potter_

The goblin grinned as he picked up the parchment. "This confirms your identity, Heir Potter. My name is Sharpclaw Bloodspiller, and I am the manager for the Gringotts Vaults of the Most Ancient and Noble House of Potter. Our meeting might be one year late, because of circumstances out of our control, but better late than never, as you humans are so fond of saying."

Harry extended his hand grabbed the clawed hand of Sharpclaw, shaking it firmly. "Pleased to make you acquittance, Mister Bloodspiller. That's one bloody wicked name, I have to admit," commented Harry.

Sharpclaw's grin widened. "Is that so? Most wizards find it barbaric."

Harry shrugged his shoulders, letting go of the goblin's hand. "Then most wizards don't know awesome when they see it," he said with a chuckle, now feeling truly relaxed after that exchange. "What does it mean for me to be the Heir of House Potter, other than the obvious, and what does it has to do with Gringotts Bank?"

"Sharp and to the point. We are going to get along well, Heir Potter," commented Sharpclaw. "Being the Heir to a Magical House, obviously, means that you will inherit and become the owner of everything that is on the name of that House, which includes Gringotts Vaults, seats in the Wizengamot if the House is entitled one, which yours certainly is, properties, magical artifacts, contracts and such."

Harry nodded in understanding. He wanted to ask about this Wizengamot, but Sharpclaw's earlier comment about how he liked things concise and to the point prevented that. He would either ask Professor McGonagall about it or investigate it on his own.

"The death of your father, the previous Lord of House Potter, was bad for Gringotts. Since there wasn't an active Heir in when he died, the Potter Accounts were frozen, meaning that they couldn't be used for new investments and were just taking space in Gringotts. And that won't do, Heir Potter. The only reason Gringotts didn't absorb the accounts after so long is because of the special circumstances that surrounded you."

While it angered him that the goblin cared more about the money his family could produce for them than the death of his parents, Harry could understand the feeling. "I understand. That means that you need me to claim Heirship for House Potter in order to activate the accounts so the money in them can be used, am I right?"

"Yes."

"How do I do it?"

"Say this: I, Harry James Potter, do hereby accept the Heirship to the Most Ancient and Noble House of Potter, so I say and by my magic and life so mote it be."

Harry nodded his head. "I, Harry James Potter, do hereby accept the Heirship to the Most Ancient and Noble House of Potter, so I say and by my magic and life so mote it be." He felt quite silly saying that, to be honest.

Suddenly, there was a flash of light that blinded Harry slightly and he felt slight weight settling in the ring finger of his right hand. He blinked the spot out of his eyes, eyes that widened when he saw the silver ring encrusted with an emerald that was now on his finger.

"What is this?"

Sharpclaw, who was going through documents that weren't there before gleefully, responded absently. "That's the Potter Heir Ring. It identifies you as the rightful Heir of the House and next in line for Lordship. Also, it protects you against mental attacks from those seeking knowledge of your House. Since becoming the official Heir usually happens when the firstborn child reaches ten years of age they haven't had time to mater Occlumency, which is the magical art of protecting and organizing the mind. Because of this, and because Heirs usually have vital knowledge pertaining to the House they belong to, Heir Rings were designed to protect the minds of those who wear them. I, however, suggest that you learn Occlumency yourself since one's mind could never be too protected."

"Right. This is bloody wicked," whispered Harry as he looked at the beautiful ring, noticing that the emerald shifted its tone as he looked at it from different angles. After admiring the ring for a few seconds longer he turned towards Sharpclaw. "What do you have there?"

"These are the documents that detail everything to do with all the vaults that belong or are related to House Potter," he answered promptly, savage grin wide. "Currently, I have management of three vaults: The Main Potter House Vault, which contains exactly… 5,432,289 Galleons, 548 Sickles and 3 Knuts plus magical artifacts, property and business contracts, tomes and other precious possessions. The other vault is the Potter Heir Vault, which gives you access to 5% of the galleons contained in the Main Potter House Vault. And finally, there is thrust vault set up by your magical guardian, Albus Dumbledore, which will be filled yearly with 1000 Galleons with money coming from the Main Potter House Vault."

Harry's eyes narrowed. "Why would Headmaster Dumbledore set up a thrust vault for me? I'm sure he is aware of my status as the Heir to my House, which means that he must know that I will have access to the Potter Heir Vault. And if the Main Potter House Vault was frozen, how did he set up the thrust vault to use money from the Main Vault?"

Sharpclaw shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know why Albus Dumbledore did why he did, though it is very suspicious. You also believe that the wards he put around the house you live in could've been the reason why we couldn't contact you, don't you? And frozen vault means that money directly coming from the Vault can go out of Gringotts, but money can be transferred to other vaults for those with the authority to do it."

Harry frowned. "And as my magical guardian, Headmaster Dumbledore has the authority to do that, right?" The goblin nodded. "How convenient. What can Headmaster Dumbledore, as my magical guardian, do with the Potter Vaults?"

"He can transfer a extremely limited amount of money from the Main Vault to another vault as long as the vault is related the owner of the main vault. Other than that, there is nothing he can do. But since he set up the thrust vault, he has unrestricted access to that vault."

"Has there been any extraction from that vault in the past ten years?"

"… There have been two. One three years ago to pay a complete Hogwarts tuition and another one of 1500 Galleons for 'personal purposes'. Currently, your thrust vault holds 6800 Galleons."

Harry scowled. "I suppose that a complete Hogwarts tuition is 700 Galleons then. Hm, when was the trust vault set up?"

"November 1st, 1981."

"Just after my parents died. I wonder, what game is the Headmaster playing at?" Harry asked himself. If he was unwilling to trust the Headmaster when Minerva told him that it was him who left him with the Dursley family, then now, after seeing what he did with the vaults of his family confirmed that Albus Dumbledore couldn't be trusted. "Sharpclaw, what can and what can't I do with the Potter Vaults?"

"Since you are the Heir you cannot extract money directly from the Main Vault, you cannot establish new investment plans, you cannot establish contracts that use the money from the Main Vault and you cannot set up accounts that are filled with money from the Main Vault. You can, however, do whatever you want with the Heir Vault and the thrust vault."

Harry smiled. "In that case, I want all the money that enters the thrust vault to be put into the Heir Vault, only leaving 1000 Galleons at all times in case the Headmaster needs to make another extraction. I don't know what game he is trying to play, but I want to find out. I don't trust him. Are you obligated to tell him about my status?"

Sharpclaw shook his head. "It will be done, Heir Potter. And no. Nor can he become aware of it magically since magical guardianship is unrelated to heirship and lordship of magical families."

Harry nodded. "Good." He then smiled. "Sharpclaw, as the manager of the Potter Accounts, what can you do with them?"

Sharpclaw's grin paid homage to his last name. "Anything."

Harry shared the grin. "Excellent. How much is a galleon, a sickle and a knut in comparison with themselves and UK pounds?"

"A galleon is worth is 17 sickles and a sickle is worth 29 knuts. One galleon equals 4.93 UK pounds."

Harry did a rough calculation on his head and he grin widened. "I don't know about you, Sharpclaw Bloodspiller, but I think this is the start of a beautiful and fruitful partnership."

Sharpclaw laughed roughly. "Likewise, Harry James Potter, likewise."

 **XXXXXXXXXX**

"You took more time than what I expected. I thrust that all of your businesses with Gringotts have been solved and…" She noticed the satchel that rested on his hip and was wrapped around his torso. "Is that a mokeskin pouch?"

Harry smiled widely at Minerva. "I apologize, Professor. The meeting went on for longer than I expected but I believe that I managed to resolve everything that I could so today." Harry's smile became strained. "And yes, this is a mokeskin pouch. Gringotts provided me one for the 'insignificant and totally reasonable amount of 200 Galleons'."

Minerva chuckled. "Goblins are nasty, greedy and cunning creatures. It would be unwise to make enemies out of them."

Harry snorted. "I figured." He then looked at Minerva. "Um, Professor, can I ask a favor?"

"Of course."

"I'm sure you know what happened here and I'd like if Headmaster Dumbledore wasn't informed."

Minerva peered at him for a second before nodding slowly. "I understand if you don't thrust him for what he did, Mister Potter. Albus might have a tendency to keep things to himself, but he is a good person. I want you to keep that in mind when you deal with him in the future."

"… He used his authority as my magical guardian to set up a trust vault that used the Main Vault of my House to fill itself yearly with 1000 Galleons just after my parents died. He used it to pay my Hogwarts tuition and also extracted 1500 Galleons from it for 'personal reasons'."

Minerva recoiled slightly. "Oh."

Harry nodded, a frown on his face. "Yes. I haven't met him yet so I won't make a decisive opinion of him until we interact. But the Headmaster's action regarding me have not impressed me, Professor. To be honest, what you have done for me in the past few hours since we met should be an example of what the Headmaster should've done as my magical guardian. Instead, his actions are extremely suspicious at best."

Minerva nodded her head. "I… I… cannot refute that."

"That's why I'd like for you to keep what happens here to yourself, Professor. I trust you and I don't want to think that my trust was misplaced when you have been completely honest with me."

"I understand, Mister Potter," she said after a moment of reflection. Then she pulled out her wand and casted the privacy charms around them. She locked eyes with Harry and smiled. "I'm glad that you deemed me worthy of your trust, Harry. I was very close with your parents and knowing that I have your trust, feels me with happiness."

Harry returned the smile. "I'm glad you feel that way, Professor McGonagall."

She nodded and after a moment of deliberation she raised her wand. "I, Minerva McGonagall, swear upon my life and magic not to reveal any sensitive information about Harry James Potter to anyone that he doesn't deem worthy of knowing that sensitive information. So I say it, so mote it be."

There was a light, seemingly unnatural breeze that ruffled their hairs and Minerva's robe. A ball of light appeared at the tip of Minerva's wand.

Harry's eyes widened. "Professor! An oath wasn't necessary! Your word was enough for me."

Minerva smiled as she put her wand away. "I know, Mister Potter. But I wanted to prove to you that your trust truly wasn't misplaced and that your secret is safe. To be honest, I don't know why Albus had done what he has done in the past ten years, and it does not bode well for me. Because of that uncertainty, I agree to keep everything sensitive that happens here to myself."

Harry didn't know what to say so he just smiled and nodded.

"Good. Now, let us acquire all you need for your term at Hogwarts. I believe we still have enough time to get everything done."

 **XXXXXXXXXX**

"Preck!"

"Ollivanders?"

"Yes. All that is left is your wand, Mister Potter."

"Hm, alright. Let's go then."

"I will wait here for you, Mister Potter. The choosing of a wand is quite personal."

"Preck!"

Harry nodded. "Okay."

He had gotten his all his books and utensils at Flourish and Blotts, along with the books 'Hogwarts, A history', 'The Bodies and Departments of the Ministry of Magic' and 'The Houses of Magical Britain. The glimpse he caught on the content of the books were enough to make go back to his small room so he could read everything he could about magic and this new world he found himself in.

Hopefully, the next month and half would be the last time he spent time at the Dursley's if what he and Sharpclaw planned bore fruit.

He had gotten fitted for robes at Madame Malkin's Robes for All Occasions. Aside from a rude blond ponce full of himself treating anyone else there as if they were beneath him and threatening them with telling his father when he was almost kicked out for his attitude, the experience there was quite fun as he had enjoyed all the measurement tapes flaying around and squealing like children as they took his measurements for his robes.

Professor McGonagall had told him that the blond ponce was Draco Malfoy, son of Lucius Malfoy, who was the Lord of the Noble House of Malfoy, one of the richest House in Britain and one of the most influential despite them being originally from France. Lucius Malfoy was also one of Hogwarts school governors. Harry truly hoped that not all purebloods were like him, or he might find losing his not so insignificance patience.

Living with the Dursley family had to have a few positive effects, right?

Also, he had bought a snowy white owl with the most intelligent green eyes he had ever seen. He still didn't know how to name her, but he was sure it was going to come to him soon enough. He had the uncomfortable feeling that the owl might lose her patience with him and peck him to death.

Minerva had also advised him to get a shrinkable and expandable trunk so he could easily carry everything he needed and while it had been quite expensive, not that he cared, he had gotten it and now all his belongings were secure inside his pocket.

Now it was time to get his wand. While Harry knew that a wand wasn't necessary to perform magic, Minerva had explained to him that there were things that just couldn't be done without a magical focus, and wands were the most practical and useful ones. Hence their popularity in Europe and America.

Harry stepped into the store. The first thing he saw were the many boxes that littered the store arranged both neatly and messily over rows and rows of stances that extended for as long as Harry could see. There was no one behind the counter, however.

He was about to call out for the owner but a sudden presence to his side made him turn to the around forty-five degrees and there he was. An old man with unblinking silver eyes and an excited expression on his face. Where he had come out from, he was not sure, but it disturbed him.

"Harry Potter! I have been waiting for you. It seems like yesterday when I was selling your parents their first wands." He commented in an airy and almost ethereal voice as he examined Harry with scrutiny. "Your father, James Potter, favored a Mahogany, eleven inches wand with a dragon heartstring core. Perfect for transfiguration and battle magic. Your mother, Lily Evans, however, favored a ten and a fourth inches Willow wand with unicorn hair for a core. Perfect for all kinds of magic but especially charms and enchanting."

Harry raised an eyebrow at the man as he turned around, grabbed a box, pulled out a wand and presented it to him. Harry grabbed it with a disturbed look on his face and he began to feel nervous under Ollivander's unblinking silvery stare. "What?"

"Go ahead! Give it a wave!"

Harry smiled unsurely but did as he was told.

He waved the wand he was given and he almost jumped when an entire row of boxes shot out of their stances and both him and Garrick had to duck in order to not be hit with the boxes. Ollivander snatched the wand out his hand. "Not that one!" He exclaimed before he went and picked another wand that he tentatively handed him. "Try this one."

A wary Harry waved the wand around.

The shelf exploded quite violently.

"Most certainly not!"

The next hour were spent testing what Harry was sure were all the wands that Ollivander had and while for a moment he had been completely puzzled as one specific wand -Holly, Phoenix feather core, eleven inches, nice and supple- had failed to match with him, the longer he spent testing wands the more excited the old man became.

Harry handed the wand back to an almost vibrating Ollivander and he regarded the almost completely destroyed store. "Um, sorry?" He ventured to apologize, unsure and disturbed of everything he had witnessed inside the store.

Ollivander waved him off. "Think nothing of it, Mister Potter. I prefer the tricky costumers," he said before a gleam entered his eyes and he grabbed another box. He opened it and handed harry a wand made of smooth, black wood with a grayish black handle that curved downwards. He placed it on Harry's hands. "Ebony, dragon heartstring core, ten inches. Powerful and fierce."

Harry grabbed the wand by the handle and immediately he knew this was his wand. He became aware of the 'muscle' that was his magic just by holding the wand, instead of consciously looking for it. Also, he felt as if he was more in control of his magic. As if the wand was what he had needed to be truly complete.

It felt exhilarating.

Ollivander grinned as he saw Harry take a dep breath as his powerful magic swirled around him and ruffled his hair. "I believe we found your wand, Mister Potter. That'll be 7 galleons, though for 20 more galleons I can provide a polishing kit and a dragonhide forearm holster for your wand."

Harry nodded and reached into his mokeskin pouch. "I'll take all that. And, erm…" he trailed off and looked around the destroyed store. "Wouldn't you like some payment for the damages?"

Ollivander waved him off, picked a random wand, waved it around and in a few seconds, everything was repaired and looked just like when he had come in.

Harry blinked. "Oh." The grinned. "Nice. Can you teach me how to do that?" He asked hopefully.

Ollivander laughed. "You'll learn that and more at Hogwarts, Mister Potter. I expect great things from you as it is no ordinary wizard that is chosen to wield a wand with the woods and cores that are designed to channel the most amount of power. Remember this, Mister Potter, while the wand choses the wizard, it is the wizards that uses the wand. I know you will do great things and I sincerely hope that those things are done for the good everyone."

Harry looked into Ollivander's entrancing eyes and nodded, smiling. "I promise you, Mister Ollivander, that I will do my best to live up to your expectations…"

"PRECK!"

"… if my newly acquired owl doesn't murder me in my sleep." Harry laughed nervously.

Ollivander could only laugh.

Great things indeed.

 **XXXXXXXXXX**

"What do you think of young Harry, Minerva?"

Minerva handed him the Philospher's Stone. "He is a very bright and insightful young man. Very polite and sure of himself too. It surprised me that he was like that because of how he was treated by those people." Her voice was sharp at the end.

Inwardly, Dumbledore was worried. Outwardly, he sighed tiredly. "You know it was the only thing we could to keep him safe, Minerva. We had no other option."

"So you claim."

At the strange look she gave him, Albus was tempted to use passive Legilimency on her but he discarded the idea. Minerva's occlumency was strength enough that she would feel a passive probe to her mind and she might turn him into a chicken and roast him for dinner if she got even an inkling that he was trying to read her mind.

"How much did you tell him?"

"He knows who his parents are, he knows why he is famous, the faith of the Death Eaters that aren't dead and that it is possible that the Dark Lord is still alive."

It was more than what he would've liked but with Minerva, someone he couldn't direct as firmly as he wanted, wanting to personally introduce the Boy-Who-Lived to the Wizarding World. "Good. Nothing out of the ordinary happened during the shopping tree?"

Minerva raised an eyebrow and shook her head. "No. We went to Gringotts and got enough money from the trust vault his parents left him to buy all of his supplies. When we were finished I instructed him on everything he needed to know in order to make sure he arrived without issues at Hogwarts."

Again, more than what he wanted Harry to know. Molly would have to pick up the slack. "Good, good. I trust he didn't catch a glimpse of our little friend here, right?" He asked, patting the crimson stone that rested innocently on his desk.

Minerva rolled her eyes. "Of course not. Who do you take me for, Hagrid? While he was getting money from his vault I went retrieved it alone. He didn't even catch a glimpse of the bag it was in."

"Excellent. Thanks for your hard work, Minerva." Inwardly, he cursed. He would have to find another way to spike Harry's curiosity.

Minerva nodded her head and turned around to walk out of the Headmaster's Office, wondering if Albus' interest in Harry was just the healthy one of a concerned figure of authority for one of his future charges or if it was something more insidious.

Albus Dumbledore frowned as he looked at his Deputy Headmistress walking away after she delivered the Philosopher's Stone to him. It seemed like in his old age he forgot to take into account that people tended to change their stand on matters and act on their own or impulsively. And Minerva, true to the lion in her, had jumped at the opportunity of being the one to introduce him to the wizarding world.

He had been left with no choice as that was indeed her duty. It would've been extremely suspicious if he refused to let her go. She had even offered to fetch the stone herself. He had wanted to use Hagrid so the man's absent mind would help in making Harry curious about it but alas it was not to be.

Thankfully the boy was unaware of his true heritage according to what Minerva said.

His frown became more prominent as he recalled what she had told him about Harry Potter when he asked her about him. She had described him to be a mix of Ravenclaw and Slytherin. And that worried Albus more than he cared to admit. Harry was supposed to be all Hufflepuff with an inner and stronger Gryffindor so he could be put in that house in order for him keep the image of Beacon of the Light he had constructed for the boy in the past ten years.

But now he couldn't predict which House Harry was going to end up in.

"I believe I underestimated how much of his parents was in him," Albus mused as he fingered the red colored stone that he was going to use as bait for both Voldemort's wraith and to test Harry's willingness to put himself in harm's way for others. He needed to keep track of that disgusting spirit and he also needed to cultivate Harry's sacrificial potential so the prophecy could be fulfilled.

"I guess I'll just have to be more proactive from now on, wouldn't you say so, Fawkes?" Albus turned towards his phoenix familiar who he had tasked to giving two of his feathers as cores for the wands of Tom and Harry so he could keep track of them at all times, or at least the locations of their wands, since they were connected to Fawkes through their cores.

It had worked for Tom as he never went without his wand, meaning that Dumbledore knew where he was at all times. It was the reason why he always seemed to appear at the right time with his Order of the Phoenix to save the day. And now that Harry had a wand tied to his familiar he could keep better track of the boy.

The phoenix stared at his chosen partner of many years before it gave a thrill that sounded neutral but it was still beautiful and full of life. Dumbledore took this sound as agreement and he smiled at his familiar as he leaned back on his chair. While he hated the fact that he needed to sacrifice an innocent boy to amend for his mistakes he would gladly do so if it meant getting rid of the symbol of the Dark.

It was, after all, for The Greater Good.

 **XXXXXXXXXX**

"Say…"

Petunia shrieked in terror as she jumped from the couch.

Dudley squealed like a pig from his position on the floor and quickly scrambled in all fours to hide behind his mother's skirt.

Vernon somehow lunched to his feet faster than what his body would suggest he could. He was turning a pale purple already.

Harry smiled kindly at them, having teleported to the living room from the backyard. "Did you know that my parents were magical like me? I was surprised to find out they weren't drunks that died in a car crash like you told me."

Petunia fainted.

* * *

 **Author's Notes**

Please, do try to not be too harsh when reviewing. I'd like to reach my twenties without clinical depression over an internet forum, alright?

So, we have quite the different start for the Boy-Who-Lived's journey, eh? There were obvious differences, others that weren't so obvious and others that probably flew over your head and that you won't see what will result of them until further into the story.

The main differences, however, were:

Harry's early knowledge and practice with magic basic on experiences that he was forced to go through because of the Dursley's who were a bit harsher in my story than in canon.

His introduction into the wizarding world by Minerva McGonagall… which is going to have its own ramifications, ramifications that are going to please a few people, amuse some others and piss of whoever is left.

And finally, his wand. Harry grew up different, hence, he has a different mindset and thus a different wand. Ebony, Dragon heartstring, ten inches, Powerful and Fierce. According to my sources, these are the descriptions for the materials used in Harry's wand:

Ebony: _This jet-black wand wood has an impressive appearance and reputation, being highly suited to all manner of combative magic, and to Transfiguration._

Dragon heartstring _: As a rule, dragon heartstrings produce wands with the most power, and which are capable of the most flamboyant spells. Dragon wands tend to learn more quickly than other types. While they can change allegiance if won from their original master, they always bond strongly with the current owner. The dragon wand tends to be easiest to turn to the Dark Arts , though it will not incline that way of its own accord. It is also the most prone of the three cores to accidents, being somewhat temperamental._

Let's see what Harry can accomplish with a wand with these specifications.

As for pairings, it is going to be an Harem, but not a conventional one and not one with just Harry getting the girls so he can bang them, show them off and show his superiority over other men. No. Here everything has a meaning, and while there is going to be honest love, affection, attraction and lust in the relationships, I assure you that it is not going to be what you would expect.

The only ones I am sure off right now are: Hermione Granger, Susan Bones, Daphne Greengrass, Luna Lovegood and Fleur Delacour. I'm sure there will be others, but the ones that are sure are these five.

I believe that's all. See you next Sunday/Monday with the next chapter.


	2. Identity's Worth

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Harry Potter. It belongs to J. K. Rowling, Warner Bros and Bloomsbury. I only own the original plot ideas and concepts that I implement in this piece of fiction to make it a bit more original and entertaining. Make sure to read the A/N at the end of every chapter to catch any news about the story. Enjoy!

* * *

A few pointers before we start the chapter.

 **AU:** Magical cores are a thing. Not everyone has the same magical potential. Wizards and witches can tap into the ambient magic for the most powerful rituals and spells, but it is extremely difficult and very few can do it.

 **AU:** There are ancient and noble houses. The Sacred Twenty-Eight are such houses. House Malfoy is not one of the Sacred Twenty-Eight since they are originally from France, and the Sacred Twenty-Eight refer to the founding _British_ families of Magical Britain. The Potters, however, are a member of the Sacred Twenty-Eight, since their ancestry can be traced back to the Peverell Family, who were one of the many that led the foundation of Magical Britain.

 **AU:** Britain's Wizard/Witches Population is slightly over than 20,000, instead of just a few thousand.

I believe that's all for now. If you are not put off by the summary nor by what I established above this final message, then I truly hope you enjoy the story.

* * *

 **Identity's Worth**

* * *

Harry pressed a finger into the shrinking rune of his trunk and channeled magic into it. When the trunk shrunk until it was just smaller than the palm of his hand he put it on the pocket of his pants.

He turned towards his owl, whom he had named Aura, after the Greek goddess that personified the breezes. For some reason, Harry thought that his owl felt that name was perfect for her and befitting of her station.

"Would yo like to come with me or do you think you'll be able to find your way to Hogwarts on your own?"

The sharp peck she gave his hand and the indignant turn of her head his answer.

Harry chuckled. "Yeah. Sorry. See you there then. Be safe, girl."

Aura somehow huffed, nodded graciously at him before she flapped her wings and rose to the skies through the window. He watched her for a few seconds before he shook his head and walked out of the room he had used in the past months. The only thing he took from there were the books his owned and his more decent clothes. He left everything else. Hopefully, he won't be needing them anymore.

Harry walked into the living room and his gleaming eyes rooted Vernon, Petunia and Dudley in place as they paled and shrunk into themselves.

"I'd like to say that it has been a pleasure, but you lot aren't worth even my lies," began Harry, voice as even as his face. "You aren't eve worth my hate and disdain. You have treated me like I was worse than a rabid animal for reasons outside of my control and because of your own idiocy and bigotry."

Harry then smiled lightly. "But I suppose that I have to thank you. Hadn't you treated me the way you did I wouldn't have learned to take care of myself nor would I have been able to find about my magic before I was supposed to. This is a farewell Vernon, Petunia and Dudley. I sincerely hope that we don't see each other again."

Harry inclined his head at them and when he saw the relief, glee and happiness brimming in their eyes he couldn't help but make a final comment. "I also hope that with me gone the protection wards that Headmaster Dumbledore put around your house don't fail due to a lack of a magical human in the vicinity. That'd be unfortunate, wouldn't you think?"

Harry smirked at the horror on their faces, gave them a mocking way and disappeared as if he never was there in the first place.

Petunia fainted.

 **XXXXXXXXXX**

Harry appeared in a nondescript alley that was close to King's Cross Station. He checked the time on his silver pocket watch, which he had bought in one of his three other trips to Diagon Alley that he had made on the pass month and a half.

10:32.

"Hm, just in time," said Harry as he pocketed his watch and walked out of the alley.

He needed to be at Platform 9 ¾ just before 11:00 AM and board the Hogwarts Express, which would take him to Hogwarts Castle that was located somewhere in the Scottish Highlands. Since they were leaving from London, the trip was going to take eight to ten hours. It didn't make too much sense when you took into consideration the distances, but, well, magic.

Harry reached the station and quickly walked towards the platforms 9 and 10 but he had to pause when he heard a piece of conversation.

"This station is full of muggles, I tell you! Where is Platform 9 ¾ again, Ginny dear?"

"It's between Platforms 9 and 10, mum."

"Thank you. Fred, George, Ron, Percy. Let's go."

Harry stared at the gaggle of redheads, wondering if they were stupid or they just had a wish of going to Azkaban for breaking the Statute of Secrecy so blatantly. He also wondered if the plump woman that was obviously the mother suffered of memory loss, as she had older kids that had to have assisted Hogwarts many times before. That was the only explanation as to why she had to confirm where the station was.

Not wanting to possibly deal with them, Harry sped away and went promptly went through the barrier. He was immediately assaulted by the noise of conversation, laughing and crying of adult and not-so-adult wizards and witches as they crowded next to the magnificent crimson and red locomotive.

Smiling, and without anyone noticing him, Harry quickly slipped into one of the carriages and just as quickly found an empty compartment. Thanks to the power of magic, the compartment was bigger than what the size of the carriage would suggest, being able to fit six people comfortably on comfortable looking chairs, there was also a table and a lever on the ceiling where you could put your luggage.

Thankfully, Harry only needed one chair and he choose the one next to the window, so he could enjoy the view. He pulled out his watch and checked the time again.

10:54.

Six minutes left before the Hogwarts Express left. Harry got himself comfortable and with a bit of focus he wandlessly conjured his book of Hogwarts, A History. Out of the three extra books he bought from Flourish and Blotts, this was the only one he had yet to finish. The other two had obviously taken priority due to the knowledge they imparted on the political and social history of Magical Britain, a society of which he was secretly a prominent member.

He was glad that he could render his Heir Ring invisible to anyone, since he didn't want to promote his status until he felt it was the right time. And more importantly, he couldn't learn Headmaster Dumbledore know that he knew what he now knew. He had decided he was never going to trust him. The goblins had found powerful wards around the house that prevented any kind of magical communication not coming from Hogwarts from reaching him, meaning that Dumbledore wanted to keep him ignorant of the Wizarding World, for one reason or another.

Harry had decided to take a waiting approach to see what was the Headmaster's plans regarding him and he would act accordingly, and for that he needed to keep a low profile and not gather more attention to himself than what was necessary. He already had enough attention as it was for being the Boy-Who-Lived, something that annoyed him to no end. Thankfully, the goblins were helping him take legal actions against that Lockhart fellow for using his name on his books and make huge profit with them without his consent.

Thinking of what he had set in motion with the help of the goblins, Harry smiled with some strain. While he had to pay Sharpclaw a significant number of galleons in order to convince him go through with his plans, he felt that he was on right path to make the Most Ancient and Noble House of Potter the force to be reckoned with that it was before Voldemort began his reign of terror. It was going to take a few years, but Harry felt that his plans will bear fruit by the time he was ready to claim lordship when he turned seventeen years of age.

Just after the train began to move, Harry heard the door of the compartment opening and he turned away from his book to see a brown-haired boy his age shifting nervously from side to side, shoulders slightly hunched forward and a slightly pudgy face holding an ugly toad on his hand. His trunk was at his feet.

Harry smiled at him. "Good morning."

The boy averted his eyes. "Go-good morning. Um, the other compartments are full and I was wondering if me and my friends could use this one."

Harry nodded. "Of course. There is more than enough space."

The boy smiled. "Thanks. Erm, Susan, Hannah. I found us a compartment!"

Harry watched with amused eyes as the boy dragged his trunk into the compartment while still holding onto the toad. After him, two girls stepped in, also dragging their trunks. One of them had red hair, but a darker shade than that of the weird family he saw at the station, and hazel eyes. The other one had blonde hair and honey brown eyes. They were both very pretty.

"Would you like some help with that?"

The boy smiled sheepishly and nodded. The girls blushed and nodded gratefully. Harry chuckled and flicked his wrist, his ebony wand shooting from his holster that was hidden by his long-sleeved shirt into his hand. He flicked his wand and pointed at each of the trunks. "Wingardium Leviosa."

He hadn't really used the first-year levitation spell but he was going to follow Professor McGonagall's advise on not advertising the skills he had acquired before he learned of the nature of his power. He made a show of using his wands to levitate each trunk into the lever in the ceiling while in reality, he was using psychokinesis to do so.

When he was finished he flicked his wrist inwards and his wand disappeared back into his holster. He smiled at their wide-eyed looks.

"That was wicked, mate!"

The two girls nodded in agreement as they took seats in front of him.

Harry shrugged his shoulders. "Hm, that isn't that impressive in my opinion. It's literally one of the very first spells we learn in Charms. It's supposed to be the easiest one we learn this year," said Harry, his voice not sounding smug nor arrogant. He was just stating a fact.

"That's true," chimed in the redhead. "But it takes a decent amount of practice to get that level of control with the levitation spell," she said before she smiled at him and presented her delicate hand to him. "My name is Susan Bones. These are my friends Hannah Abbot and Neville Longbottom. Pleased to meet you."

Harry's eyes widened for a fraction of a second before he schooled his features and he smiled at Susan, who blushed a little as he stood up and gently grabbed her hand. "The pleasure is mine, Heir Bones, Heir Abbott and Heir Longbottom." The eyes of the three of them widened as Harry proceeded to kiss the back of the hand of Susan and Hannah while he grasped Neville's hand.

"How… who are you?" Asked Neville, a little defensive and pale faced. The girls weren't faring any better.

Harry smirked. "I believe our families have been allies for more than a hundred years. My name is Harry James Potter, Heir to the Most Ancient and Noble House of Potter." Their eyes widened to the size of dinner plates as their eyes flicked to his forehead, where they finally managed to see his scar that was hidden behind his messy black hair. Their eyes then flicked downwards to his hand when the Potter Heir Ring blinked to existence. "And I believe we have much to discuss."

They gaped at him for almost a minute before they turned towards each other, gulped and then focused on him again.

Neville nodded shakily. "In-indeed we must, Heir Potter."

'Who would have thought I would encounter the three Heirs of the three Light families that had the strongest alliance with my family?'

Lady Luck must've been on his side.

 **XXXXXXXXXX**

"I… I can't believe Headmaster Dumbledore would do something like that."

"Me neither. Wasn't he supposed to be the Leader of the Light?"

Susan scowled. "We should write to my aunt and have him arrested for attempting against a Most Ancient and Noble House."

Harry shook his head. "That would be unwise, Susan. The Headmaster is a figure with a too high profile to get him successfully arrested, prosecuted, trailed and incarcerated with just suspicion against actions which he could claim were just intended with my safety in mind and that I was just reading too much into it. The entire Magical Britain worship the earth Dumbledore walks on. Attacking him in this matter would be suicide."

Reluctantly, Susan nodded. "So, what do we do?"

"We observe, wait and look out for each other. Our families have been allied for a long time and it is the least we can do to make sure that the sacrifices our families have made don't go in vain. I am sure that Dumbledore is not as good as he portrays himself. His actions speak for themselves. What we need to do is prepare and increase the power of our families and our standing in our society."

Neville lowered his head and the others looked at him with sympathy. While Hannah and Susan had lost their parents and most of their family members entirely to the previous ward, Neville's parents faced a fate worse than death. They were comatose in St. Mungos, having being victims to the Cruciatus Curse by Death Eaters seeking revenge for the Dark Lord.

"That is going to be extremely difficult, Harry," pointed out Hannah. "The Dark Families are stronger than ever after You-Know-Who's reign and the Light families are weakened. Thankfully, the Neutrals still have the most power and standing, and they are reasonable, unlike the Dark families. It will take a lot of time and galleons for it took work. And we are just the Heirs to our Houses. There is nothing significant we can do until we can do until we become the Heads of our Houses."

"That might be true, Hannah. But I have already taken steps to increase our standing. With me activating the Potter Vaults by claiming Heirship, I am only behind the Noble House of Malfoy and the Most Ancient and Noble House of Black in wealth, and it is not by much. I have convinced the Potter Manager to restore and reacquire all the properties and business that belong and belonged to the House of Potter. By the time I am ready to claim Lordship, House of Potter should have the wealth and influence it had before the Dark Lord had his joyride."

Their eyes widened. "How did convince a goblin to do that?"

Harry's smile strained. "A monthly salary of 200 galleons plus interests within al business under the Potter name."

Susan snorted. "Figures," she said with shake of her head. Then she beamed at Harry. "But that's wonderful Harry. While your wealth would have a significant decrease due to all the investments it should increase back in no time. The Potters had a lot of businesses across Britain and a few on France, Spain and Switzerland. Aunt Amy will be happy to know that the House of Potter is back with a vengeance. I just wish my family could do more. Unlike Neville and Hannah, we are not members of the Sacred Twenty-Eight and we are not as wealthy."

Harry smiled assuredly at them when Susan and Hannah shared the sentiment. "Your family might not be wealthy, Susan, but they are influential. Your aunt is the head of the DMLE. And while Neville and Hannah can't do anything themselves directly, their Regents can. The only thing I ask of you is that you prepare yourselves as much as you can as formidable wizard and witches. Also, I'd like you to inform your regents of my plans, of Dumbledore's actions concerning me and my suspicions about his intentions. I would also like them to help in the endeavors of House Potter in regaining its position."

Neville nodded. "Um, Gran will probably take a while to convince but if she becomes aware of the actions you have taken I am sure she will give you all the support of House Longbottom can afford. She really doesn't like Dumbledore that much, to be honest."

Hannah nodded her head too. "Uncle Jacob should be easy to convince. He was always bitter that Dumbledore forbid him from taking you in. I am sure he will support your plans once he becomes aware of your plans and suspicions against Dumbledore."

Susan smiled. "Aunt Amy will be pleased. I don't think she will be able to do much since her department is facing cus in its founding since there haven't been need of many aurors in the past years, which is dumb to say the least. But I am sure she will fall behind anything she set out to do as long as it is within the law and is done for the betterment of Magical Britain while following the ideals of the Light."

"I'm glad to hear that," said Harry before he shifted slightly and locked eyes with the three of them. "About our ideals, I feel that we need to modify them if we want the Neutrals to support us against the dark families."

Hannah frowned. "What do you mean?"

Harry sighed. "If there is one thing the Dark Families have right is that purebloods, specially the Sacred Twenty-Eight, should be at the head of our society." He raised a hand when he saw the outburst about to start. "Let me finish, would you? The Sacred Twenty-Eight and the other purebloods families founded and constructed Magical Britain with their blood, sweat and tears. It is their right to lead it and be at the head of legislations and judicial bodies. That doesn't mean, however, that what they call half-bloods, mudbloods, half-breeds and creatures should be subjugated."

Harry breathed for a second before continuing. "To appeal to the Neutral families, I think that we should preach about giving muggleborns fair opportunities to integrate into our society. To teach them how to live like wizards and witches, instead of preaching about them having the same right as the wizards and witches that have been part of this society for hundreds of years. To be truthful, I find that more unfair. Muggleborns should have the same opportunities as 'Purebloods', but by no means should they be allowed to change a society that take them in allows them to learn the wonders of magic."

A few minutes of silence followed Harry's short speech and it was Susan who broke it. "Your… your point makes sense, Harry. And it is pretty sensible and since the interest of the Neutrals falls on keeping their positions, wealth, influence and traditions and the expansion of Magical Britain, for which muggles are needed. They should see the merit of backing us up against the Dark Families."

Neville and Hannah nodded in agreement eventually, as they also saw the merit in Harry's words.

Harry smiled at all of them. "Thank you for seeing my point of view. I'd like if you also informed your regents of what I am proposing to get the support of the Neutral families so we can meet during the winter holidays to flesh them out and organize ourselves further."

Neville, Susan and Hannah nodded in agreement.

"Now, enough serious talk, let's get to know each other better and enjoy our trip."

 **XXXXXXXXXX**

Harry and Neville were goading Trevor to jump all over the table using dead flies while Susan and Hannah looked on with amused disgust as they chatted with each other when the door to their compartment was opened sharply.

Four heads turned towards the door and Harry groaned internally when he saw the blond ponce he saw at Madam Malkin's standing there looking smug. He was being flanked by two boys that looked as stupid as they were big.

"Word on the train is that Harry Potter is here," said the ponce smugly. His eyes landed on Harry and he smirked. "Oh, so you are indeed here. My name is Draco, Draco Malfoy, Heir to the Ancient and Noble House of Malfoy. These are Gregory Goyle, Heir to the Noble House of Goyle and Vincent Crabbe, Heir to the Noble House of Crabbe. Let me be the first true wizard to welcome you." He extended his hand towards Harry and sneered in the direction of Susan, Neville and Hannah, the girls glaring black while Neville frowned and averted his eyes. "You could be doing better than sitting with a bunch of blood traitors."

Harry crossed his arms and narrowed his eyes at the ponce. "That's not very polite, _Heir Malfoy._ " He mocked, making Draco lose his smug smile. "Also, the last I heard House Malfoy was just a Noble House. Announcing your house with titles far above their actual station is punishable by law, didn't you know?"

Neville smiled while Hannah and Susan giggled with glee.

Draco scowled. "Now listen here you filthy half-blood! I was doing you a favor by allowing you to associate with me and mine but I can see that you are nothing but another pawn for the blood traitors! You'll end just like your fool of a father and your whore of a mudblood mother."

Neville's eyes widened.

Susan and Hannah gasped as they gave Draco an incredulous look.

Harry stilled for a second before he smiled.

It wasn't a nice smile and his eyes, chips of the coldest emerald, pinned Draco in place as he slowly stood up from his seat.

" You know, Malfoy, my overweight muggle cousin bullied kids just because he thought himself better than the others. You are no better than him right now."

Draco became red with rage. "You dare-!"

" _Shut up…"_ Harry hissed. Draco closed his mouth, eyes wide and face pale. "… and listen. I'm talking. This is not the first time I have seen you, Malfoy. I saw you when you were getting fitted for your robes at Madam Malkin's and you were making so much of a fool of yourself that you were kicked out. I thought to myself: 'Ugh, that moron looks my age. I will probably have to deal with him the sane way I dealt with my overweight cousin since they aren't that different from one another.' Do you want to know how I dealt with my cousin, Malfoy? How I showed him not to mess with me?"

Before Draco could respond Harry put his palm on Draco's chest almost gently. " _I made him piss himself, of course._ "

Vincent and Crabbe would've moved to protect Draco but that have been also pinned in place by the terrifying aura that was surrounding Harry Potter along with his dangerous eyes.

There was a moment were everyone stood still and the next one Draco was thrown back as if by an invisible force. So much force was he thrown back with that when he smacked into his glorified bodyguards he pushed them back until the three of them smacked into the opposite wall that faced the door of Harry's compartment.

He looked down at Draco, who was groaning, trembling and looking up at him with fear. "Let this be the first lesson you know from me, Malfoy. I don't like bullies. Now, kindly fuck off, will ya?" He smiled and closed the door with a resounding bang.

"That was scary. Impressive, but scary," commented Susan, looking wide eyed at Harry. Her eyes shone with gleeful approval though.

Hannah nodded in agreement.

"That was bloody wicked mate! How did you do that?"

Harry sat back on his chairs, smiled teasingly and wiggled his fingers. "Magic."

Naturally, groans were the response to his horrible pun.

"While I think that you dealt with Malfoy in a suitable manner, we will now have to actively watch out for him and his retaliation. His father is the Leader of the Dark Families and his family is the wealthiest in Magical Britain right now. He is not going to let this slide, and I am sure he will have the backing of the Heirs of Houses Parkinson, Goyle, Crabbe, Nott, Flint and Bulstrode, all of them Dark Families and of which only the Flint Heir isn't in our year."

Harry frowned. "Figures that so many families of the Sacred Twenty-Eight will be dark. Are those the only Dark Families that belong to the Sacred Twenty-Eight?"

Susan shook her head. "Those are the only Dark Sacred Twenty-Eight families, Malfoy not included obviously, that have Heirs currently attending Hogwarts. The other Dark Families from the Sacred Twenty-Eight are the Houses of Avery, Lestrange, Rosier, Rowle, Selwyn, Travers and Yaxley. Thankfully, most of their Heads were either sent to Azkaban or were killed for willingly following You-Know-Who. The other families are Neutrals, of which only the Greengrass and McMillan Houses have Heirs in our years and the Carrow heirs are in the year above us."

Harry rubbed his forehead and sighed. "At least silver lining to all of this. Most of those families are weakened and have lost most of their influence and wealth, meaning that while we are the minority, we have time to grow and get the backing of the Neutrals. In the meantime, we will have to deal with the Heirs of the families that will assist Hogwarts with us."

Hannah nodded. "Just another motivation to become the best witches and wizards we can be."

Harry and Susan smiled confidently at her while Neville just laughed awkwardly and nervously. He hoped his father's wand worked with him, otherwise he might disappoint his new friend.

"Thankfully dealing with Malfoy and his clique won't be that hard and annoying. I know their type. There are bullies. More bark than bite. And they will be too pissed off to do barely more than plan and scheme their petty revenges. We stay of out of their way, keep an eye on them and prepare in case they try something moronic."

Two sharp nods with confident smiles and a more hesitant nod with a nervous smile were his answers.

 **XXXXXXXXXX**

"Firs' years over 'ere! Firs' years over 'ere!"

Harry blinked. "Is that a giant with a candlelight calling for first-year students?"

Susan shook her head, chuckling. "No. That's a half-giant with a candlelight calling for the first-year students. A pure giant is twice his size both in height and width."

Harry blinked again. "How did that work?"

Hannah heard his muttering. "Excuse me?"

"Nothing."

Harry, Susan, Neville and Hannah, wearing their uniforms and robes, followed the half-giant towards docks in Hogsmeade. When they reached the docks, they marveled at the dark water of the Black Lake before they boarded one of the boats, which had capacity for only four people conveniently.

When all the first years were on the boats, the half-giant addressed them all. "Good evenin' to all o' you! My name is Rubeus Hagrid. I am the Keeper of Keys and Grounds at 'Ogwarts and I welcome all o' you to the best school for witchcraft and wizardry!"

Hagrid smiled at all of them from behind his bushy beard, trying and succeeding to put them at ease. Standing on his own boats, Hagrid turned around and raised his candlelight. " 'Ere we go!"

And the boats began to move on their own.

Harry looked down at the boats with a wondering smile. "I can only imagine the charms that were put to these boats to make them move with wind and go against the wave movements of the lake without resistance," commented Harry.

Neville looked confused while Hannah and Susan exchanged amused smiles, rolled their eyes and chuckled.

They enjoyed the short journey mostly in silence, joking and laughing when they were about to cross under a bridge and Hagrid had told them to duck only for him being the only one who needed to duck. A few minutes after that, Hogwarts Castle came into to view and there more than one gasp, Harry included.

Hogwarts, A History didn't give the castle the credit it was due. Harry could feel the powerful magic of the castle from where he was. According to the book, Hogwarts Castle was built in 993 a.c. by a wizard architect who to this day remains unknown, Godric Gryffindor, Helga Hufflepuff, Rowena Ravenclaw and Salazar Slytherin. It was also enchanted to be bigger on the inside than what the outside would suggest, though the actual castle was massive already. One of Harry's wishes was to explore the entire castle, find all of its secrets and map it out. He might even make a project out of it.

They eventually reached the docking area that was attached to the cliff on which the castle rested next to the Black Lake. When all of the first-year students stepped out of their boats, Hagrid pointed them towards some stairs that lead up to a door connected to the castle. "Go up them stairs and y'all meet Professor McGonagall. She'll take you from there!"

They thanked him and Hagrid watched them go with a smile. His eyes widened when he caught a glimpse of emerald eyes and messy black hair. His smile widened. While he had been disappointed that he wasn't the one to welcome Harry to the Wizarding World, he felt that McGonagall probably did a better job than he could ever do. Besides, he could always introduce himself whenever he had the opportunity during the term. Harry wasn't going anywhere until perhaps Christmas after all.

The group of eleven-years-old went up the stairs in silence, too nervous to attempt to talk to one another. They eventually reached the top where they found the stern visage of Professor Minerva McGonagall waiting for them. Harry smiled at her in greeting and she inclined her head slightly at him.

When the students settled she addressed them all. "Good evening to all of you. My name is Minerva McGonagall and I am the Deputy Headmistress at this school along with being the Transfiguration teacher. It's a pleasure and an honor to be receiving you all here at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardly."

Her stern visage never dropped as she continued. "As first years, you will all now be sorted into one of four houses to which you will belong for the rest of your years in Hogwarts and will treat as your family. The houses are Gryffindor, the house of courage and chivalry, Slytherin the house of cunning and ambition, Hufflepuff the house of loyalty and dedication, and Ravenclaw, the house of intelligence and wit. I must tell you that, even though we separate you in houses, you are all students of Hogwarts and as such you must be willing to help each other in the practice of magic. Understood?"

When they all nodded, with a few expected exceptions, she smiled slightly. "In that case, follow me."

The group followed Minerva towards a gigantic set of doors that opened inwards imperiously letting them walk into a gigantic room. Harry first noticed the large four tables that took most of the space and he immediately realized that this tables separated the houses of Gryffindor, Slytherin, Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff. The next thing he noticed was that there was apparently no ceiling, as he could see the starry night sky above him without interference.

Harry then heard the excited talking that was coming from the tables and he looked around to see the older students giving all of them encouraging smiles and nods. Well, the students wearing red, yellow and blue were, while the ones wearing greens were only staring at them with judging looks on their faces.

Eventually they reached a portion of the room that was between the four tables and the Staff Table, were all professors and personal of the school sat. The first one to gather Harry's attention was Dumbledore, who wearing quite effeminate and extravagant robes. He saw the blue eyes of the old man twinkle and he raised an eyebrow before shrugging his shoulders and focusing his attention on the other adults. He missed Dumbledore's prominent frown that disappeared as fast as it appeared.

Minerva cleared her throat and the students noticed that she now was holding a big classic looking wizard hat on her hand. She looked slightly annoyed as he put the hat on a stool that Harry swore was not there before. Suddenly the material that made up the hat contorted into a distinct pondering and frowning expression of a person... and the hat, with a raspy voice, began to sing:

 _"Oh you may not think I'm pretty,_

 _But don't judge on what you see,_

 _I'll eat myself if you can find_

 _A smarter hat than me._

 _You can keep your bowlers black,_

 _Your top hats sleek and tall,_

 _For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat_

 _And I can cap them all._

 _There's nothing hidden in your head_

 _The Sorting Hat can't see,_

 _So try me on and I will tell you_

 _Where you ought to be._

 _You might belong in Gryffindor,_

 _Where dwell the brave at heart,_

 _Their daring, nerve, and chivalry_

 _Set Gryffindors apart;_

 _You might belong in Hufflepuff,_

 _Where they are just and loyal,_

 _Those patient Hufflepuffs are true_

 _And unafraid of toil;_

 _Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw,_

 _if you've a ready mind,_

 _Where those of wit and learning,_

 _Will always find their kind;_

 _Or perhaps in Slytherin_

 _You'll make your real friends,_

 _Those cunning folks use any means_

 _To achieve their ends._

 _So put me on! Don't be afraid!_

 _And don't get in a flap!_

 _You're in safe hands (though I have none)_

 _For I'm a Thinking Cap!"_

The entire hall, except for the bewildered first years, exploded into extravagant applause and whistling.

The Sorting Hat even somehow bowed in thanks.

"What in the world…" muttered Harry, a strained smile on his face as he didn't know whether to laugh at the silliness of it all or deadpan until his face became stone.

"That's it?! I thought we were going to have to wrestle a troll!"

Harry deadpanned.

Minerva cleared her throat and the annoyed expression of her face was more prominent. "Since that is out of the way..." she trailed off as she pulled out a parchment from her robes which she rolled open. "I will now call you by name to begin the Sorting Ceremony. After you are sorted by the Hat, you will head towards your table. Understood?" Nods. "Excellent. Abbott, Hannah!"

Hannah gulped but she squared her shoulders and walked towards the stool after Susan and Harry smiled encouragingly at her while Neville showed his support with a short nod of his head. The hat was put on her head and after a few seconds…

"Hufflepuff!"

From there on, Harry did his best to see where the members of the prominent families were sorted. Hannah and Susan were sorted into Hufflepuff as was Ernie MacMillan, which spoke well for them. Also, it was a good thing the McMillan Heir was sorted into the same House as Susan and Hannah, since they could befriend him and slowly get him on board with their plans.

Surprisingly, Draco Malfoy was sorted into Slytherin. It was surprising since he had not shown the cunning that defined the members of that house. Pansy Parkinson, Theodore Nott, Gregory Goyle, Vincent Crabbe, Millicent Bulstrode were all sorted into Slytherin though he wasn't worried. They were all glaring at him with hate and weren't subtle about it.

Daphne Greengrass was also sorted into Slytherin and he felt like she was the only one of their year, along with Tracey Davis, that were true Slytherins since they didn't give anything away with their facial expressions when they were sorted. He would need to find a way to befriend them and get Daphne on board with their idea, since the Greengrass family was the leader of the Neutral faction.

He was pleasantly surprised when Neville was sorted into Gryffindor. That meant that his skittish and nervous demeanor was probably because he found himself in a new environment and didn't know how to act. Harry would help him find bring out his true self. The Heir of the Ancient and Noble House of Longbottom could not be allowed to be a scared kitten. Much less if he was a Gryffindor.

And then it was his turn.

"Potter, Harry!"

Almost immediately all sound ceased and Harry felt every eye on him as he walked towards the stool. He noticed how Dumbledore pushed himself forward in interest as he sat on the chair and the Hat was put on his head. He saw was the expectant and wide-eyed looks of the other students. It annoyed him.

His eyes widened when his wring burned almost searing hot before it became deathly cold.

The mental shields of the ring had been passed.

" _ **Ah, Harry James Potter. I would appreciate if you stopped doubting what the creating of the four greatest wizards and witches in history can do against a measly rind with a mind trick, otherwise, I'd feel insulted. Also, it took me the entire year to compose that song. It insults me that you think the tradition as silly."**_

Harry relaxed and chuckled. _"That makes sense, I guess. I apologize, on both accounts. I trust that you can't divulge anything you learn from the mines of the students, right?"_

" _ **Of course not."**_

Harry smiled. _"Good to know."_

" _ **Now, onto your sorting. I'm very tempted to put you on Slytherin. Everything you have done ever since you began to think for yourself is worthy of the ideals Master Salazar preached and practiced."**_

Harry frowned and shook his head. _"While I can agree on that being true, me being in Slytherin would be a disaster. I am the Boy-Who-Lived, the so-called Champion of the Light. While being cunning and ambitious doesn't have anything to do with being evil, Voldemort gave the House that fame. If I want to make the change in the Wizarding World that I want to make, I cannot be put in Slytherin."_

" _ **Of course, of course. Tou tell you the truth, you have all the traits to belong to the Slytherin, Hufflepuff and Gryffindor Houses. Enough cunning and ambition to see you through those dark years with your relatives and enough courage to do it what it needed to be done to go with the pans on your head. And finally, willingness to work hard for what you want and any true find you find will get a staunch supporter that would go through fire and brimstone for them."**_

Harry shrugged his shoulders. _"I'm fine with either Gryffindor or Hufflepuff to be honest. Just not Slytherin."_

The hat chuckled. _**"Ah, but I wasn't finished, Harry James Potter. You see, the reason why you have all of these traits, why you have cultivated them is because you are**_ **intelligent** _ **enough to realize that all of those traits are needed to become someone great. Because you embody the true mindset of Mistress Rowena, I sort you into**_ **RAVENCLAW!** _ **"**_

Harry realized that the last word was also said out loud instead of just his mind and feeling pleased, he took off the hat and put on the stool. He noticed that Professor McGonagall looked a little disappointed, but not that surprised, meaning that she had been expecting this. He also noticed that the Hufflepuff table and Gryffindor Table were groaning and moaning in disappointment, the Slytherin table showed no reaction but the Ravenclaws were clapping and hollering with glee.

He turned towards the Staff Table and smiled amusedly when he saw a diminutive Professor with goblin features clapping enthusiastically and almost crying. He also noticed a greasy haired man sneering at him next to a turban wearing man that was looking away from him. His ring burned and he narrowed his eyes and he looked away. When he did the ring turned back to its normal temperature.

Finally, Harry turned towards Dumbledore and the old man was clapping politely with an even expression on his face. His inspection had taken less than ten seconds but he quickly made his way to the table that belonged to his new House, his robes and uniform changing to match the blue and bronze colors of the Ravenclaw House.

He was received warmly and with enthusiasm and while he returned the greetings and introductions with an earnest expression, his mind was still focusing on the sorting of the rest of his fellow first years. He took a seat next to pouting bushy brown-haired girl and waiting for the sorting to be done.

He was surprised to learn that the red head boy that made the comment about wrestling a troll was Ronald Weasly, a member of the poorest and least influential family that belonged to the Sacred Twenty-Eight. He was acting smug as he walked towards the Gryffindor Table, though he kept sending what he thought to be discreet glances to his table. Interesting. And he added Blaise Zabini to those he considered true Slytherins since he had acted the same way Daphne and Tracy did when he was sorted into the house of the snakes.

Dumbledore picked up a silver spoon and tapped his golden goblet slightly.

The resounding clang was at odds with his actions but the entire hall quietened down and he stood up, a welcoming smile on his white bearded face and blue eyes twinkling behind his half-moon glasses. "Welcome," he said. "Welcome to a new year at Hogwarts! Before we begin our banquet, I would like to say a few words. And here they are: Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak! Thank you!"

Harry deadpanned as the Hall exploded into a thunderous applause.

The expression left his face, however, when tons of food and drinks appeared in front of him. He smiled with wonder as he began to fill his plate with small servings of everything he could reach so he could try everything without making his stomach suffer.

He paused when he noticed the girl next to him wasn't reaching for the food. "Aren't you going to eat, Hermione, was it?"

"Yes, Hermione Granger, pleased to meet you…" she responded automatically but she posed and gasped when she realized who was addressing her. "Harry Potter! Um, I mean! It's nice to meet you! I've read everything about you!"

Harry chuckled. "Nice to meet you too, Hermione. And let me be the first one to tell you that nothing in those books is remotely real. I was raised by my muggle relatives and only learned about magic about one month and a half ago."

Hermione looked scandalized. "But those are books written by Gilderoy Lockhart!"

Harry shook his head. "It doesn't change that he is lying. Why don't you confirm it yourself and pay close attention to the dates he claims he did everything he claim to have done. You can reach your own conclusions that way."

She nodded her head, knowing that it had merit to confirm it if the subject of those books was telling her that what was said about him were lies. And if they truly were, she was gpoing to be extremely angry and disappointed. Books shouldn't lie.

"So, you aren't hungry?"

Hermione sighed. "It's not that…" She looked around and leaned forward slightly to whisper so only he could hear. "It's just that I wanted to be sorted into Gryffindor just like Albus Dumbledore was. He is the greatest wizard in the world, after all. But the stupid hat insisted that Ravenclaw suited me best."

Harr frowned. He decided to give her a piece of advice. "While trying to emulate great wizards and witches is not a bad thing, I think it is better to be your own person and become someone great for things you did yourself based on how you think and what you excel. The Hat decided to put you here in Ravenclaw because you value knowledge and intelligence more than anything else. Instead of trying to become like Headmaster Dumbledore by lying to yourself, you should try to become better than him using your own, true ideals."

While he had admonished her gently, she was still rendered speechless, so he continued. "For example, I have deep admiration for Professor McGonagall. She was a Gryffindor. That doesn't mean that I want to be just like her and grow to be just a teacher, as respectable and important as the position is." Harry paused before he chuckled sheepishly. "Well, that's not entirely true. I'd love to have half of the talent she has for Transfiguration at least."

Hermione stared at him for a few seconds with wide eyes until she recovered and she gave him a small smile. "I… erm, thank you, Harry. I think I needed to hear that. You have been given me a lot to think about."

Harry inclined his head. "You're welcome. We are housemates now and we have to help each other deal with our issues if we can do it on our own. If you ever need any help with anything, I'll be glad to help."

Hermione's smile widened. Harry noticed that her front teeth were slightly bigger than the rest but that didn't detract from her cuteness. "In the meantime, can you pass me the cherry and tomato salad and the chicken pie?"

Harry smiled. "Of course."

 **XXXXXXXXXX**

Harry, Hermione and the other first-year Ravenclaws, which included Padma Patil, Terry Boot, Anthony Goldstein, Sue Li, Amanda Brocklehurst, Michael Corner, Isobel MacDougal and Lisa Turpin, followed the fifth year Prefect Penelope Clearwater as she led them up a tight spiral staircase.

Eventually they reached a door that had a bronze knocker in the form of an eagle. Penelope turned towards them with a smile. "This is the entrance to our common room. Due to House rivalries and such it'd be best if you kept this tidbit of information to yourselves, yes?"

They nodded.

The prefect seemed pleased. "Excellent! Now, to gain entrance to the common room, and through it your rooms, you will have to knock and answer the riddle it gives you. If you can't answer it you'll have to wait for someone to come out of the common room so you can enter or get someone else to solve the riddle for you. Anyone wants to give it a try?"

The first years exchanged looks. Harry shrugged and stepped forward.

Penelope smiled at him and stepped aside. Harry walked up the door, knocked and stepped back.

" _What belongs to you but other people use it more than you?"_

Harry raised an eyebrow at the fairly thought inducing riddle. He stopped for a few moments and thought about it. It took him almost a minute but eventually he smiled. "My name."

Penelope's smile widened as the door opened. She nodded at Harry with approval who just inclined his head. Hermione also smiled at him while Terry patted his back. The other girls smiled at him too but Michael and Anthony didn't acknowledge him. He shrugged and followed after Penelope.

The stepped into a circular, wide room that had graceful arched windows, and the walls were hung with blue and bronze silks. The domed ceiling was painted with stars, which were echoed in the midnight-blue carpet. Tables, chairs, and bookcases covered the expanse of the floor, and a white-marble statue of Rowena Ravenclaw sat next to a door that lead to somewhere else within the common room.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" Asked Penelope rhetorically as she saw the first-years appreciating room. "This will be your common room from now until the day you graduate Hogwarts. You can pass the time here doing whatever you want as long as you respect others if they are studying, though we recommend you use your individual rooms for such things."

She then pointed towards the door that was next to the marble statue. "That door will lead you to a set of stairs which you will use to reach your dormitories. There are seven floors above this one. As firs years, your rooms will be on the first floor. On your second years your rooms will be moved to the second floor and so on. The right side belongs to the girls and the left side belong to the boys. You'll find that your rooms will have your names carved into the doors and all your belongings will be in your respective rooms. I suggest you go rest since you are expected here at 7:00 AM sharp to talk with Professor Flitwick, who is going to give you your formal introduction to the house and your schedules."

With that said she smiled at all of them before she walked towards that same door. Harry shrugged decided to follow her advice. He was followed by the other first years. When they reached the first floor he gave Hermione a little wave, who returned with a smile before she was pushed away by giggling and chattering girls towards their rooms.

Harry chuckled and made his way towards his own room. He noticed that there were only four rooms on the corridor, likely meaning that the floors were adjusted accordingly to the number of students belonging to that year, taking into account the amount of males and females there were too. Magic was awesome.

Harry nodded at his fellow first years goodnight and just when he was about to step into his room, Anthony spoke.

"I don't know what's so great about you, Potter. Yes, you supposedly beat You-Know-Who but I bet it was just a fluke or some freak occurrence. And don't think that you are the best shite to have graced Ravenclaw House for solving such an easy riddle either!"

Terry's eyes widened as Michael nodded in agreement.

Harry turned towards Anthony and pinned in place with his cold gaze. "Are you, perhaps, jealous of me, Mister Goldstein?"

Anthony's nostrils flared in rage. "Why you!"

Harry maintained his even tone and expression. "Do you know why I am called the Boy-Who-Lived?"

"You are the only one to have ever survived a Killing Curse! You don't have to rub your fame in our noses!"

"Exactly," said Harry flatly. "Last two questions, Mister Goldstein. Do you have your parents? Did they raise you with love and care?"

"What? Of course I do and of course they did! What's your point?"

Harry shook his head. "I think the one that should be jealous is me, Mister Goldstein. Good night."

With that said, Harry slipped quietly into his room, his door closing gently behind him.

Terry glared at Anthony. "Arsehole." He then slipped into his own room.

Anthony had a confused look on his face for a few seconds before it downed on him. His face paled and his eyes were wide. He looked towards Michael who wasn't faring any better.

"Shite."

 **XXXXXXXXXX**

"Potter was sorted into Ravenclaw."

"I noticed, Severus."

Professor Severus Snape, former Death Eater, renowned Potion Master and admittedly unpleasant human being, raised an eyebrow. "Doesn't that worry you?"

Dumbledore sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Of course it does. The boy wasn't acting any way near I was hoping he would act after being subjected to the psychological abuse I arranged for the Durley to give him. He was confident and sure of himself. He wasn't even sorted into Gryffindor or Hufflepuff nor he has the wand I arranged for him to have so I could monitor him through Fawkes. Where did I go wrong?"

Snape sneered. "Perhaps you underestimated the arrogant genes of his father."

"Perhaps," allowed Dumbledore. "In any case, I need to cultivate his self-sacrificing nature. He is the one prophesied to kill or be killed by Voldemort. I'd rather Voldemort dies only but if Harry Potter needs to be sacrificed then so be it. I, however, cannot compromise my standing so we will have to mold him into making the decision himself."

Snape shrugged his shoulders. "I don't care either way as long as the Dark Lord dies," he said with hate for his former Master, the man that had promised to not kill the woman he loved only to do so any ways.

Dumbledore nodded. "Whatever it takes shall be done. That's why I want you to subtly target him to bring his confidence down. Use the members of your House if you must. I believe I saw the Heirs of the Dark Families glaring at him from the Slytherin Table with a fair amount of contempt so it is possible that he has already clashed with them during the trip here. Use that to your advantage."

Snape's pleased and eager smile wasn't nice. "It'll be a pleasure. I will make sure that Potter doesn't grow up to be as arrogant and insufferable as his father. I will make sure he will be someone my dear Lily could be proud off."

The fact that he was going to have his revenge against James Potter through his son, was just the icing to the cake.

"See that you do that, Severus. The wellbeing of Magical Britain depends on how well we can adjust our original plans to counter what Voldemort and his Death Eaters have set into motion to prepare for his return."

After that, Snape and Dumbledore adjourned for the night.

None of them noticed the disappointed black eyes of Fawkes, who looked at his chosen partner with sadness.

 **XXXXXXXXXX**

A few minutes before seven the next morning, Harry found himself sitting next to Hermione in one of the couches of the common room, waiting for Professor Flitwick. Last night altercation was not something he really cared about but thanks to it he had seen the true nature of his male dormmates.

Anthony, and Michael who had silently supported him, had made their bed regarding him and they could lay in it. No matter who ashamed they looked, he doubted he would ever be friend with them. He was willing to be cordial and help with their subjects if they needed it, but further than that there was no chance.

He was willing to give Terry a chance since he had heard him insulting Anthony for what he did, which could mean that he was truly a nice person. He was willing to make friends with him if he continued to demonstrate a good, solid character.

Hermione had impressed him yesterday with her politeness, intelligence, knowledge and willingness to listen to advice from those that knew better or more than her. He was ready to consider her a friend if she was truly like this and so far he didn't suspect otherwise. He had not told her what had happened yesterday as it was unimportant but she seemed curious as to why Terry, Padma, Sue and Lisa were glaring at Anthony and Michael, who looked ashamed.

He was not going to stop her if she wanted to find out on her own, however.

"What do you know about Professor Flitwick, Harry?"

Harry shrugged his shoulders. "Not much, admittedly. He is the Charms Professor and also used to be a Profesional Dueling Champion before he settled for teaching Charm at Hogwarts. Also, he is half-goblin, which could mean that he has a secretly vindictive, nasty side to him. I doubt it since he seemed very nice last night but that's what I got from the goblins at Gringotts."

There was a high-pitched chuckle from their side and they turned to see Professor Flitwick walking towards them with a jovial smile on his face. "While that might be an accurate assumption in most cases, Mister Potter, you'll find that the only thing I inherited from my goblin ancestry is a quite unhealthy love for battle that hasn't quite settled even in my old age."

Harry smiled and inclined his head. "Good morning, Professor Flitwick. To be honest, I have quite an interest in dueling, I was excited when I heard that our Head of House was a Dueling Champion."

Flitwick's eyes gleamed happily. "Is that so? It's extremely rare when a Ravenclaw has an interest in dueling. That's mostly found in Slytherins and Gryffindors much to my disappointment. Perhaps we can address this interest of yours in the future, Mister Potter?"

Harry's smile widened. "I would like that, Professor."

Professor Flitwick then cleared his throat and produced a wand, which he used to conjure ten sheets of paper that floated towards them with just a flick of his wrist. Impressive, but not surprising. "Those are your schedules. Attached to each schedule sheet are directions on how to get from here to the Great Hall, from here to all the classrooms and from the Great Hall to the classrooms. The sheets will disappear after a month, so it would be within your best interest to learn them. I expect you not to miss any of the classes. I also expect you to not fail any of your subjects, get more than decent grades in your classes and excel in those that hold your interest. We are Ravenclaws and we pride ourselves in our knowledge. We have to prove that."

After that, Professor Flitwick proceeded to explain a few more rules of conduct and such. He then told them to go the Great Hall in order to have breakfast now so they had time to calmly eat, let their stomachs digest the food and reach their Defense Against the Dark Arts class, which was their first one of the day, without hassle. He then bid them goodbye, told them that his office was open for them at any time that he wasn't imparting a class and left.

Harry put his schedule and direction sheet on his mokeskin pouch, which had all of his books, parchments, quills ink pots and materials that he was going to use through the term. He stood up and smile at Hermione. "Shall we?"

Hermione stood up and returned his smile. "We shall."

And thus, Harry Potter's first year at Hogwarts begun.

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

After seeing how well the first chapter did, I decided to hell with it and give you the second chapter right away. It was the least I could do in thanks for such an amazing feedback. I couldn't be more grateful. Like we did in previous chapters, let's address a few points.

Petunia might want to see a doctor about her fainting issues. I promise that this will be the last we see of the Dursley family.

Yes, Aura is Hedwig. I decided to change her name to one that truly embodies the magnificence that she possess. Besides, while she has a different name, she is still here and she will let Harry know who is the owner of whom very soon.

While the Weasley Family isn't going to be necessarily bashed, some of its members will find that Harry doesn't care much about those with secretive, ulterior motives. He is willing to strike friendship with those that are upfront with him with their intentions. He despises those that insult his intelligence. Ron, Percy, Ginny and Molly, prepare yourselves. For obvious reason, Bill will also resent Harry in the future, but that doesn't mean he will back his family on whatever is that they are planning.

I decided that the first friends Harry makes in the Hogwarts Express are Neville, Hannah and Susan. It seemed appropriate and it made sense since the three of them wanted to seat together and by that time most of the compartments wouldn't be able to house them. The reunited with Harry by pure chance… literally. It was a coin tossup between them or Hermione… and they won.

Draco is dumb. His friends are dumber. Enough said.

Yes. Hermione in Ravenclaw. I did that. It never made sense to me that she was made a Gryffindor because her defining characteristic was her intelligence, love of books and desire for knowledge. In canon, I feel that she became "courageous" because of the (bad) influence Harry and Ron had on her. In my story, that isn't going to happen, and she will be an even more brilliant witch because of it.

Yes. Harry in Ravenclaw. I did that. You read the Sorting Hat's reason and I am not going to repeat them. I'm sure that Harry's intelligence hasn't be show cased properly but I promise that it will become apparent from the next chapter onwards. You also saw that there is more to his character than a desire to learn everything that could be learned about magic. He wants to take House Potter higher than ever. I am inclined to believe that he will succeed.

Anthony and Michael won't be antagonistic towards Harry from now onwards, but they won't be friends. To be completely honest, I don't think Harry will be very with other members of his House other than Hermione and Luna when she joins. We will have to wait and see how the story develops.

Dumbledore isn't necessarily evil, but his views have made him so pragmatic and ruthless that his actions might be considered evil. In the end, Dumbledore wants to off Voldemort at any cost without compromising everything he has achieved. That way of thinking, and the possibility that he might've gone slightly senile in his old age, might come to bite him in the ass later down the line.

Snape is messed up and downright evil. I won't be pulling any He-was-secretly-a-hero's out of nowhere.

Harry has expressed an interest in Dueling, which shouldn't have come on as too much of a surprise due to the wand that chose him as its wielder. This will also make him closer to his Head of House, which is going to work in Harry's favor in the future even though the closeness with Flitwick will be achieved without ulterior motives. Harry isn't a hypocrite. Just as he wants those that want to be his friends to be upfront with him, he will also be upfront with those he considers his friends.

And finally, I have decided to only add one more girl to Harry's amorous group: Nymphadora Tonks. Her pairing with Remus falls in the same category as Hermione's pairing with Ron. It didn't make sense and felt forced. Because of how I planned things, Tonks becoming interested in Harry in a romantic sense will make sense at least and won't feel forced at best.

See ya! Remember to lock your cabinets and cupboards or I will be eating your muffins.


	3. The First Week

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Harry Potter. It belongs to J. K. Rowling, Warner Bros and Bloomsbury. I only own the original plot ideas and concepts that I implement in this piece of fiction to make it a bit more original and entertaining. Make sure to read the A/N at the end of every chapter to catch any news about the story. Enjoy!

A few pointers before we start the chapter.

 **AU:** Magical cores are a thing. Not everyone has the same magical potential. Wizards and witches can tap into the ambient magic for the most powerful rituals and spells, but it is extremely difficult and very few can do it.

 **AU:** There are ancient and noble houses. The Sacred Twenty-Eight are such houses. House Malfoy is not one of the Sacred Twenty-Eight since they are originally from France, and the Sacred Twenty-Eight refer to the founding _British_ families of Magical Britain. The Potters, however, are a member of the Sacred Twenty-Eight, since their ancestry can be traced back to the Peverell Family, who were one of the many that led the foundation of Magical Britain.

 **AU:** Britain's Wizard/Witches Population is slightly over than 20,000, instead of just a few thousand.

I believe that's all for now. If you are not put off by the summary nor by what I established above this final message, then I truly hope you enjoy the story.

* * *

 **The First Week**

* * *

"That man is a hoax."

"Harry! You shouldn't speak about a Professor like that," admonished Hermione, though her voice was unsure, since she couldn't really deny Harry's words without coming off as daft.

Harry shook his head. "As long as I don't tell him the truth to his face I doubt I will get in trouble. In any case, that man is a hoax as a Defense Against the Dark Arts Teacher. We didn't even finish introductions due to his stuttering and smell of garlic is… distracting."

"That's putting it lightly," chimed in Susan, who was walking next them. Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw shared DADA classes.

"Don't encourage him, Susan," said Hermione, though there was a small smile on her face. She liked the red headed girl the moment Harry introduced them. She was nice and had complimented Hermione on her intelligence. She considered her a friend already.

"Uncle Jacob always said that the truth shall never be hidden," said Hannah with fake self-righteousness. While she liked Hermione, she felt that her almost blind respect for people of positions of authority was a little annoying. Thankfully, with Harry in close proximity to her at all times should fix that. Meaning that in short order she would be ready to consider Hermione peasant to be around, since the amount of knowledge she had of the muggle word intrigued her.

Harry chuckled. "I'm willing to give Professor Quirrell a chance since he had to be more knowledgeable and qualified than the other applicants of the position so there has to be something he could teach us other than how to take twenty seconds to say one's name. He is worse than Neville."

Susan and Hannah giggled but it was the blonde who surged in defense of their friend. "That's not nice, Harry."

"Twenty-three seconds, actually," chimed in Terry from behind, his voice amused.

Hermione shook her head. "You lot are impossible." She was not going to deny their claims though. The Professor's stuttering and nervous and skittish demeanor was annoying. And she refused to voice her own opinion about the amount of garlic spread across the classroom.

"Should he continue this way in this class, I think I will only assist his class for assistance call and for any assignments he would give us. I refuse to have a teacher hold me back for incompetence. All of you are welcomed to join me so we can help each other advance in our DADA studies."

Automatics nods were the response to Harry's words. Defense Against the Dark Arts was a core subjects, and one of the most important ones along with Transfiguration, Charms and Potions, meaning that didn't have the luxury to barely learn the material due to a Professor that couldn't impart the class satisfactorily.

"Good. Now, let's hurry up. We have ten minutes to reach History of Magic. I hope this one isn't a waste of time."

 **XXXXXXXXXX**

"Definitely a waste of time," muttered Harry as he sat between Terry and Hermione on the second row. Hermione was dutifully taking notes though there was an annoyed look on her face. Terry was trying, and failing, asleep. He couldn't fault them.

The moment everyone was seated, Professor Binns, who was a ghost that apparently hadn't realized he was dead yet, began to drone about the Goblin Wars without even verifying that everyone was there. History of Magic was a class that the four houses received together, so there were forty students in attendance and out of all of them Harry and Hermione were of the few ones not falling sleep.

Hermione because her sense of responsibility and respect for teacher prevented her from showing such a blatant disrespect and Harry because he had better things to do than to listen to something he could easily learn on his spare time. He doubted Binns would assign homework or do assistance call, but he would come to class either way just in case. But he was going to pass his time reading for other, more interesting subjects, like Transfiguration, Charms, Potions or DADA.

That was what he was currently doing. He had his Transfiguration book opened and he was reading the first chapter, which was an introduction to the basics of transfiguration. While he was going to be seeing that after lunch, it never hurt to read ahead to have a gist of what the Professor was talking about. It was a good habit he had fallen into when he had to spend hours confined to a cupboard. It was going to serve him well in the years to come.

He chuckled when he noticed Hermione mechanically copying everything Binns was saying. He would've have to convince her to do the same as he. It would be hard, but he was sure he would succeed since she would still be learning something. The others might prove to be more difficult but he was sure he could get Hannah and Susan on board, since they were hardworking.

As he looked around to see how his year mates were faring, Harry noticed something that amused him and pleased him. Daphne Greengrass was a pretty girl with black hair and blue eyes and a frosty demeanor that suited her and made her perfect for Slytherin. A normal person wouldn't be able to see past that mask, but Harry was more perceptive than the norm. It was a skill he had to develop in order to predict how his relatives would react to what he did so he could act accordingly.

Draco Malfoy was sitting next to her and he was trying to talk to her discreetly. He noticed that Pansy Parkinson was sitting next to him at his other side and seemed annoyed. In any case, Daphne appeared to be completely ignoring him, but the tense way her arms were closed and the occasional twitch of her eyebrow betrayed her true feelings. Draco didn't seem to notice as he continued to whisper to her with a smug, arrogant smirk on his face.

Others that did notice were Tracey Davis and Blaise Zabini. Tracey, who was a brown haired pretty girl with hazel eyes, would occasionally give Draco discreet annoyed glances and Blaise, who was a tall boy with dark skin and sharp features, had shaken his head once after looking at the one-way interaction for a few seconds.

Harry then noticed Theodore Nott, who could give a vulture a run for its money in appearance, and Millicent Bulstrode, who wasn't pleasant looking at all, glaring at him with hate and anger. Next to them, Vincent and Gregory tried to do the same but ended up looking like constipated pigs.

Harry smiled at them before he focused back on his book.

Interesting.

 **XXXXXXXXXX**

"Another bloody hoax."

"Language, Harry," said Hermione, but her heart wasn't on it. She was off the same opinion. While she had taken notes on everything Professor Binns had said, she had only done so out of sense of responsibility and respect for his position, not because she enjoyed the class.

"My time there will be better spent reading about another subject. You should do the same Hermione, Susan, Hannah, Terry, Neville. That way you won't be wasting your time… though you could use the time to sleep if you didn't get enough the previous night."

They nodded thoughtfully, though Neville seemed hesitant. He was still rubbing his eyes off sleep.

"That's a good idea."

Hermione looked scandalized. "Harry! You can't do that! That would be disrespecting Professor Binns and his station!"

Harry shook his head. "That might be true, Hermione. But it is also a disrespect to us to have a dead teacher impart us classes. And if that wasn't enough, said ghostly teacher is fixated in only one aspect of his subject. History of Magic has the potential to be extremely interesting if it was imparted by a competent teacher, but I believe we will get the most out of the material if we read our books on our spare time."

Hermione seemed ready to argue but she was smart enough to realize that there wasn't a valid argument she could come up with. "I… you are right, Harry. But we shouldn't disrespect the Professor. I won't stop you from doing that but I won't join you in reading for another subject during a different class."

Harry shrugged. "Suit yourself."

The group of six eventually reached the Great Hall. It was lunch break and they had almost two hours to eat before they had to go to the next class. While Harry was placed that finally he was going to go to the class that interested him the most aside from Transfiguration and DADA, it annoyed him that he still had to wait so long. He was going to take the time to finish reading and learning the first chapter.

"See you guys later," said Susan suddenly, as she and Hannah made to break away from the group and head towards the Hufflepuff table. Neville also looked ready to walk dejectedly towards the Gryffindor table.

Harry blinked and raised an eyebrow. "What are you talking about? Aren't we going to eat together?"

"I think the members of each house are supposed to sit on their respective tables while in the Great Hall," said Terry thoughtfully.

"Where in the rules says that?"

"Nowhere," answered Hermione. It didn't faze anyone that apparently, she had memorized all of the rules.

"Then there is no need for us to separate. We can mix it up every day an eat on different tables. Since the Ravenclaw one is the least occupied right now let's use that one."

Susan and Hannah seemed unsure but they were happy to stay together with their friends. Neville didn't look so morose anymore and Terry and Hermione didn't seem to mind. The walked towards the far end of the table that was closes to the Staff Table and sat close together. A few students gave them weird looks but no one commented on the strange occurrence of three Ravenclaws, two Hufflepuffs and one Gryffindor sitting together.

Harry pulled out his Charms book, since it was his next class, as did Hermione.

Susan and Hannah shook their heads at them in amusement, muttering about 'typical Ravenclaws'.

Neville was content, happy to be sitting with people he felt comfortable to be around. He had been friends with Susan and Hannah for a few years. Harry was wicked and he was very since and helpful when he wasn't being scary and he liked Trevor, which was a plus Neville's books. Hermione was a bit intimidating but she was also nice. And Terry, who had put his chin on his palm and seemed ready to go back to sleep again, also seemed like a nice guy, if a bit laidback for a Ravenclaw.

While Harry mixed his attention between chatting with his friends and reading his book, he noticed his other year mates entering the Great Hall a few minutes after them. His year mates in Ravenclaw gave his group questioning looks before shrugging and not commenting on it. Though Harry noticed that Anthony and Michael were about to walk towards them but they lost they nerve when they noticed him looking at them curiously.

Harry shrugged and focused on the other Houses. He saw that most of the Gryffindor react in the same manner when they noticed Neville sitting with them but Ronald Weasly looked like Neville had insulted him somehow. He would need to watch out for him in the future.

The Hufflepuffs were giving Susan and Hannah disapproving looks, which didn't bode well with Harry, though Ernie McMillan had just looked on with some interest before he looked away. Though that have Harry some hope, he was still worried.

Finally, the Heirs of the Dark Families sneered at them with contempt, which didn't surprise anyone. Harry saw that Daphne, Tracey and Blaise gave his group discreet, intrigued looks before they focused elsewhere when they noticed that Harry had caught their looks.

Harry smiled and focused back on his book.

It was a few minutes later when they were interrupted by the jovial voice of the Charms Professor and the Head of Ravenclaw House.

"Twenty points to Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff and Gryffindor for promoting inter-house cooperation and interactions," said Professor Flitwick, a smile on his face as he beamed at the six students. "May I ask why you have decided to not follow the examples of everyone else?"

Since Harry was the one with the initiative, it was he who answered. "Since it wasn't against the rules, we decided to sit together since we consider each other friends already and we feel more comfortable around each other. It would be silly not to share break and lunch times with your friends just because you are expected to sit in your house, which I reiterate isn't against the rules."

The professor nodded. "Everyone should follow your example. While you are sorted into houses, after you leave Hogwarts you will more than like have to work with members of other house so it is on your best interests to start befriending members of other houses," he said, this time so the entire Hall heard him, which made the other students contemplate his words and consider them, since they made sense.

They missed Snape's sneer and Dumbledore's frown.

"How were your first classes, if may I ask?"

Harry opened his mouth to answer but he hissed when Hermione pocked him sharply on the ribs. He glared at her in mock anger as she answered. "They were very nice, Professor. Professor Quirrell and Professor Binns seem to know their subject very well," she answered neutrally.

Hannah and Susan giggled while Terry snickered and Neville hid an amused smile.

"Is that so? I'm glad then," said Flitwick bemusedly as he had not missed the exchange. "After lunch, you will be having Charms with me. I hope that I can live up and surpass your first experiences."

"That won't be an issue, I promise," muttered Harry, only to flinch and glare at Hermione again when she pinched him.

Flitwick chuckled before walking away.

"Why would you do that?"

Hermione huffed. "You would've gotten in trouble had you say what I know you were going to say. You can speak about Professors however you want among us, but I doubt you would want to do it around other Professors."

Harry had half a mind of giving Hermione a few harsh words but he saw that she was honest about not wanting him getting in trouble so he just nodded at her understanding. Being the vindictive person that he was, however, he returned the favor and poked her on the ribs and pinched her on the abdomen.

Her slightly pained and shocked squeak and subsequent embarrassed blush as everyone laughed at her expenses was one of the cutest thing he had seen, to be honest.

 **XXXXXXXXXX**

"Everyone is here! Splendid! Now, can anyone tell me the definition of a charm?"

None of the Gryffindor present raised their hand and only Hermione and Harry raised theirs from Ravenclaw. It seemed like they had been the only ones to read ahead. Professor Flitwick seemed a bit disappointed before he smiled excitedly again and pointed at the girl.

"A charm is any kind of spell that adds a certain property to an object the previous lacked said property," she answered promptly, a smile on her face.

"Excellent! Five points to Ravenclaw! Now, can someone tell me the difference between a charm spell and a transfiguration spell? Both arts of magic deal with changing an object but they differ in one thing."

This time only Harry raised his hand, since he had both the Charms and Transfiguration books. The professor pointed at him, eyes pleased.

"Like Hermione said, a charm spell affects what an object does while a transfiguration spell changes what the object is."

Flitwick clapped his hands. "Correct! Five points to Ravenclaw! Now, in this class we won't be only learning the many different charms that a wizard or witch might find useful, but we will also be seeing magical theory and how magic itself behaves while performing a charm. Today we will learn the most basic charm, which is also extremely useful for any kind of situation and it is also used to determine the magical potential of students."

"Magical potential, professor?" Asked Padma, confusion written on her face.

Flitwick nodded. "Indeed, Miss Patil. Every single one of you has a different magical potential because no one has a magical core of the same quality and strength. That doesn't mean, however, that if you have less magical potential than your twin sister she is going to be better than you at anything else. It only means that she will simply have more power to work with and even that is up to debate. Magical cores are like a muscle, the more you use it the stronger they become. The more you practice performing magic the easier, stronger and effective your spells with become."

Flitwick made sure that everyone understood his words and when they all nodded he continued. "Before we proceed to learn a spell, we must first learn the component of each spell. Can anyone tell what those are?"

Harry raised his hand and when no one else did Flitwick pointed at him.

"Normally, a wizard or witch need an incantation and wand movements to perform a spell while channeling their magic. The incantation helps the wizard or witch focus on the intent the want to put behind the spell while the wand movement molds the magic to give spell enough shape and substance in order to achieve the desired effect."

Flitwick clapped again and jumped a little. "Excellent! Take another five points to Ravenclaw! Couldn't help but notice your use of the word 'normally'. Would you like to elaborate further on that, Mister Potter?"

Harry nodded with a smile. "Of course, Professor. Everyone knows that Accidental Magic occurs without the usage of a wand, which means that with enough practice one could likely perform spells without using an incantation or a wand movement… or even a wand itself."

Harry knew that he was walking on dangerous waters here but he felt like showing off a little. It had nothing to do with the irritation he felt at his two first Professors he had to tolerate that morning. Not at all.

Flitwick nodded his head. "You are correct, Mister Potter. Spells can be performed without the use of a incantation, without wand movements or even a wand itself. Such practices are called silent casting, direct casting and wandless magic respectively. The first two are common on aurors and duelers, who have to focus more on the amount and speed of casting while the last one you can only find in older wizards and witches that have put countless hours into it since it is significantly more difficult and draining to perform magic without a focus. And even then, only the most basic of spells can be performed in such a way."

Harry nodded his head in thanks for the unasked but certainly appreciated explanation. It served to finally drive home how special his wandless abilities were. To be able to control things with his mind, expel a concentrated force of magic, conjure and vanish and teleport without the use of a wand didn't fall in the 'most basic of spells' category. Harry decided that these abilities needed to be kept hidden. He had enough attention as it was.

That didn't mean he would stop practicing and become better with them. Quite the contrary. The could prove to be extremely useful in the future. But to that he was going to have to find a secluded place where he would be sure no one he didn't trust explicitly randomly barged in to see him teleporting all over the place while floating rocks appeared and disappeared.

Harry then noticed that Hermione was pouting while looking at him. He snorted, smiled cheekily at her and made the show of cleaning his nails off his robes. Her pout turned into a glare before she looked away indignantly. Harry chuckled at her competitiveness. It was endearing but he hoped she took it in good humor and that it would drive her to do better and not against him, since he quite liked her.

Harry noticed Neville giving him a shy thumb up and he returned the gesture with an incline of head, which made him notice Ronald Weasly looking at him with a confused and astonished look on his freckled face. It seemed like he didn't believe what he had just seen. Harry shrugged before he focused back on Professor Flitwick, who had pulled out his wand.

"Since no we know the components of a spell, we are going to move on casting your first charm. The spell you will be learning about today is the Wand-Lighting Charm. It is considered a charm because it makes the tip of your wands glow, which it wouldn't normally do. The wand motion is a cursive lower case 'e' and the incantation is _Lumos!"_

Professor Flitwick slowly performed the wand motion and the moment he spoke the incantation the tip of his wand began to shine brightly, almost blinding the students. The professor kept the spell going for a few more seconds to make sure everyone saw it before he cancelled the spell.

He beamed at them. "Now you try it!"

Harry didn't waste any time. He flicked his wrist and his ebony wand appeared on his hand and he quickly copied the wand motion Professor Flitwick had done while at the same time slowly speaking the incantation.

" _Lumos!"_

He had to close his eyes. The light was almost blinding due to its close proximity but he managed to catch enough of a glimpse to see that the light coming from the tip of his wand was just beneath the professor's own in intensity.

Harry heard the other students saying the incantation and he slowly opened his eyes, which let them adjust to the bright light, and regarded the others. He smiled when he saw everyone with balls of light of different size and intensity. They were all looking in wonder at their wands. Harry noticed that Hermione's ball of light was particularly intense but nowhere near his.

He then noticed something that made him frown.

It was something that Professor Flitwick noticed too as he quickly walked towards an embarrassed looking Neville, whose light flickered in and out of existence. Everyone noticed that when the light stayed put it was fairly big and bright, comparable to Hermione's actually.

"May I ask where did you acquire your wand, Mister Longbottom? The _Lumos_ spell shouldn't behave like that when it is properly performed and I know you performed it correctly since I was watching all of you. And when the spell isn't performed correctly it merely results in light not being produced at all."

Neville seemed to shrink into his seat, avoiding looking at anyone. It took him a few seconds but he eventually answered. "This is my father's wand."

The professor frown became an understanding expression and he smiled kindly at Neville. "Ah, then the issue is obvious. An unexperienced and young wizard or witch cannot use a wand that is not attuned to them because they don't have enough control over their magic to match the specifications of an unfamiliar wand. While I know that using that wand might be of significant value for you, Mister Longbottom, if you want to perform magic correctly in the future then you might want to acquire a wand that suits you."

Neville seemed a little pale for a few seconds before he sighed and nodded. "I will write to gran and arrange for a trip to Ollivander's during the weekend, then. Thank you, Professor."

Flitwick beamed at Neville. "It is my job to make sure students do their best, Mister Longbottom, but you are very much welcomed."

After that, they were assigned a one-foot essay on the many usages of the Lumos spell before they were dismissed for the day.

 **XXXXXXXXXX**

With an eager smile on his face, Harry sat in at the front of the class. Hermione was next to him and she was giving him an amused and exasperated look. Harry could also see that Susan and Hannah were giggling at him and Terry was just smirking from where he was.

They all knew that Transfiguration was the class Harry was looking up to receiving the most. The ability to change anything into another thing he desired called to the black-haired boy and the possibilities of such an ability were endless.

When the last student finally entered the classroom and took a seat, the doors closed on their own and the cat that silently sitting on the desk that was on the front suddenly jumped and transformed into Professor McGonagall in midair.

Harry clapped with a big grin and wide, excited eyes. "That was brilliant! What is that called, Professor?"

Minerva smiled lightly. "Thank you, Mister Potter. That was an Animagus Transformation. It is a piece of self-transfiguration that allows you to take the form of your inner animal." The smile left her face, becoming stern. "It is very dangerous magic because there is a possibility of you getting stuck in your animal form forever. Only seventh years that have proven to be proficient enough in human transfiguration can begin attempting to become Animagus."

Harry nodded at her understanding, as did everyone else, but he was put up that he would have to wait at least six years to learn how to turn willingly into his 'inner animal'. In either case, that was another motivation for him to give his all in learning the art of transfiguration. He wanted to be able to become an animal at will. The prospect was just too good to pass up.

Minerva's stern expression softened a bit. "Good. Now, let's begin our first lesson. Can anyone tell me what does it mean to transfigure?"

A lot of Ravenclaws raised their hands since they had paid attention to the previous Charms classes. A few Hufflepuff did too, including Susan, Hannah and Ernie. Professor McGonagall seemed pleased and she nodded in Ernie's direction.

"It means to change what an object is."

"Exactly. Ten points to Hufflepuff. Transfiguration spells deviate from charm spells in that a transfiguration spells changes the physical appearance of an object and charm spells changes the function of an object. I am sure that Professor Flitwick already covered this on his class but repetition is the path to memorizing so you will probably be hearing that a few more times throughout the year. Now, can anyone tell me what are the branches of Transfiguration?"

Only Harry's hand stayed up. Minerva nodded at him with a small smile.

Harry returned the smile. "Transfiguration is divided in four branches: Transformation, Vanishment, Conjuration and Untransfiguration. Transformation refers to changing the appearance of an object, Vanishment refers to make things disappear or go into 'not-being', Conjuration is the opposite of Vanishment, meaning that it refers to bringing things to being and finally, Untransfiguration refers to reversing a previously performed transformation and bring the object back to normal."

Minerva gave him a pleased smile. "Ten points to Ravenclaw! Mister Potter spoke of the branches of transfiguration in order of difficulty. You will be learning transformation exclusively until your fourth year," she said before she produced her wand and waved it in direction of her desk.

It turned into a pig.

Harry clapped.

"Then you will learn Vanishment or your OWLs in your fifth year." She waved her wand at the confused pig.

It disappeared.

Harry clapped harder.

"And if you wish to take Transfiguration as one of your NEWT curses then you will learn Conjuration and Untransfiguration." She waved her hand again.

The pig reappeared, oinked shrilly before it became a desk again when Minerva waved her wand at it again.

Harry's hands were a blur.

Minerva looked amused now. "Since I have now properly grabbed your interest to this art… some more than others, apparently," she said with a slightly teasing voice and Harry stopped clapping, his cheeks burning slightly due to his embarrassment. The class laughed and Minerva smirked slightly. "We will now learn now the basic theory of performing a transformation. Make sure to pay utmost attention now."

She waved her hand at the black board behind her desk and a formula appeared:

 _ **T = [(W x C)/(S x A)] x R**_

"In this formula, T means the intended transformation. W is the amount of power you put into the transformation through your wand. C means concentration or intent. S is the size of the object you want to transform. A refers to the mass or weight of the object. And finally, R means the amount of resistance an object will put against being transformed. All these factors affect a transformation and will determine the very success of it, the time it will take to perform and the amount of time the object will stay transformed."

Harry copied everything right away, sucking up the knowledge like a sponge.

"While there specific spells for transfiguration that can yield a specific result, a successful transfiguration can be performed with a simple wave or pointing of the wand in the direction of the object that will be transfigured. The reason behind this is because transfiguration is heavily affected by direct magical channeling and intent, as we can see in the formula. This will make transfiguration either simple to perform with enough practice or always challenging no matter how much is practiced."

Harry continued to copy, though he was paying the utmost attention.

Minerva nodded. "Now that you know all this, you will attempt a very simple and basic transfiguration." She waved her wand and a matchstick appeared in front of every student.

Harry barely resisted the urge to clap.

"Using the basic knowledge that you now have, you will transform that matchstick into a needle. I don't expect you to be successful on your first try but I would like to see some success which would mean that you are understanding what I was teaching you."

Harry put aside his piece of parchment, quill and ink pot and produced his wand with a flick of his wrist. He stared at the matchstick, taking in its size and picking it up to determine its weight. When he took into consideration that the matchstick was made of wood, a material that could easily channel magic, he decided that performing the transformation was not going to take a lot of magic.

He grasped his wand a little tightly and began to think of a needle. He imagined all of its parts: the flat and round sides, the shank, the shaft, the groove, the scarf, the eye and the point. With all of that mind, Harry slowly ran the point of his wand over the length of the matchstick, channeling a smallish amount of magic, and he watched with excitement and the matchstick slowly became a silver colored needle on his first try.

Harry put his wand on the table and almost reverently picked up the needle. He was surprised that it still and weighted the same as matchstick, which meant that while what he was holding now looked like a needle and would most likely pierce your skin unlike what it previously was, it was still a matchstick.

"Mister Potter!"

Harry looked up from his needle and saw Minerva giving him a big, pleased smile. "Um, yes?"

"You performed your first successful transformation on your first try! Twenty points to Ravenclaw!" She declared. Harry blushed and he looked around to see everyone looking at him with some awe though Hermione was pouting again at a him with a silver colored matchstick in front of her. "May I ask how did you manage to do so?"

Harry nodded his head slowly. "Erm, sure, Professor. I first estimated the size, weight and the material of the matchstick which lead me to the conclusion that transforming it wasn't going to take a lot of magic. Then I focused on a needle and all of its parts and kept it in mind as I channeled magic into the matchstick, willing it to transform. And it did."

Minerva nodded, extremely pleased "That is the correct and exact procedure I have explained. You should all follow Mister Potter's example. I daresay if you do you will either finish your task or get further than you would've gotten otherwise."

Her words proved to be prophetic. By the time the class ended, most of the students managed to achieve a decent transfiguration after many tries and only a few didn't perform it completely albeit they were so close that Professor McGonagall told them that they could finish on their own.

When she dismissed them for the day after assigning them to bring extra quills and parchments which they were going to use in the next class, she had a pleased smile on her wrinkled face as she watched the Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff first years go. She caught Harry's gaze and her smile widened a tad and she nodded at him.

Harry inclined his head in response, a wide smile of his own appearing on his face before he followed the other students.

"The apple doesn't fall far from the tree indeed."

 **XXXXXXXXXX**

"Ten points from Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff for not respecting proper seating arrangements."

That was the first thing Snape said the moment he entered the classroom, robes bellowing behind him. The likely reason for this was because Harry and Hermione were sitting next to Susan and Hannah and Ernie was sitting with Terry, Padma and Lisa.

"Can he take points for that? Professor Flitwick had even encouraged sitting with other houses," wondered Harry in a whisper that only his friends caught.

The others shrugged their shoulders and quickly arranged themselves so as to not get in more trouble.

Snape began to take the roll call.

He paused at an specific name.

"Ah, yes. Harry Potter. Our new… celebrity."

Harry raised an eyebrow at the way Professor Snape said his name. Obviously, and for some reason, the professor didn't like him… which didn't make any sense since he had never seen the man in his life. He just hoped that dislike didn't extend to how he graded him during class but for some reason he doubted it.

Snape finished taking roll call and stared at them all with black, beady eyes. "You are here to learn the subtle science and exact art of potion making. As there is little foolish wand-waving here, many of you will hardly believe this is magic. I don't expect you will really understand the beauty of the softly simmering cauldron with its shimmering fumes, the delicate power of liquids that creep through human veins, bewitching the mind, ensnaring the senses... I can teach you how to bottle fame, brew glory, even stopper death - if you aren't as big a bunch of dunderheads as I usually have to teach."

Harry wondered how many times he practiced the obviously rehearsed speech.

"Potter!"

"Yes, Professor?"

"What would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?"

"Draught of the Living Dead."

"Where would you look if I told you to find me a bezoar?"

"The stomach of a goat."

"What is the difference between monkshood and wolfsbane?"

"They are the same plant."

Snape sneered. "Barely adequate, Potter."

Seeing that this was the only response, Harry couldn't stop himself before he spoke. "You take points for something as asinine as Ravenclaws sitting together with Hufflepuffs, even after a Head of House awarded points for doing just that during lunchtime yesterday, and don't award them for obviously reading far ahead of the material that was supposed to be covered in the first weeks and showing an interest in the class?"

Harry's voice was, understandably, incredulous.

"Harry!" Hissed Hermione as she looked at him with wide eyes. She wasn't the only one.

Snape's face was red. "Fifty points from Ravenclaw for questioning a Professor, Potter! It seems like your fame has gone to your head!"

Harry deadpanned. "You are just proving my point, Professor."

"Harry!"

"Detention! For a week!"

Harry narrowed his eyes at Snape, who recoiled slightly as he was reminded of Lily because of that look. "I will not stand for this. You blatantly insulted me, disregarded my interest in your class and targeted me directly with questions beyond what I was supposed to know to most likely have an excuse to make fun of me. I will take this with my Head of House immediately."

Harry's voice was so cold that more than a few there shivered. Harry quickly gathered his things, put them on his mokeskin pouch, stood up from his seat and made his way out of the classroom. Nobody stopped him.

Incensed, but not showing it outside of a stony expression on his face, Harry quickly made his way towards the Charm classroom to see if Professor Flitwick was imparting a lesson. He found the classroom empty, meaning that he was likely on his office in the Ravenclaw Common Room.

Without wasting any time, Harry headed there. He only paused for a few seconds to answer the riddle somehow. He knocked on the door of Professor's Office and it opened after a few seconds.

Flitwick beamed at Harry when he saw him. "Mister Potter! Come in." He noticed the stony expression and the anger in Harry's eyes. "How can I be of service, Mister Potter?"

"I want to fill a complaint against a Professor and I would like a revision of unfairly take House Points."

Flitwick's expression evened. "Explain."

Harry did so.

Flitwick's eyes were blue chips of fury. "I believe we must take this with the Headmaster. Follow me, Mister Potter. Professor Snape has had a reputation of being unfair and harsh to students outside of Slytherin but he has never attempted to ridicule nor insult a student, much less a first year. I doubt you have a reason to lie so we will take this matter seriously."

Harry followed his Head of House out of his office and out of the Ravenclaw Common Room. "He seemed to dislike me even before our altercation."

Flitwick frowned. "The only reason I could phantom why that would be the case was because Professor Snape used to be bullied by your father and his group of friends before they matured and saw the error of their ways. Though Professor Snape wasn't a defenseless victim since he gave as good as he got, he was outnumbered always. There was also the friendship he had with your mother Lily but they apparently had a fall out during their final years."

Harry felt some of the respect he had for his father decrease because he used to be a bully but he was placated slightly at the assurance that he had grown out of it. He looked at Professor Flitwick with wide, incredulous eyes. "You are telling me that Professor Snape hates me for something my father did two decades ago?"

Flitwick nodded, frowning. "That's the most likely possibility, which I hope isn't the case, but I doubt it."

The rest of the trek to the Headmaster's office was done in silence, except for when Professor Flitwick had to say Lemon drop in order to get access to the office trough the gargoyle that guarded it.

They slipped into the office after Headmaster Dumbledore lead them in, somehow knowing that it was them. Harry looked around the office with interest. The many trinkets and tomes gave the office personality. There was also a majestic bird perched next to where Dumbledore was sitting. The bird was looking right at him with a passive look on its face. It unnerved Harry a bit if he was honest.

"Professor Flitwick, Harry. How may I help you?"

They took their seats in front of the Headmaster. It was Flitwick who spoke. "Mister Potter here seems to have had an unpleasant altercation with Professor Snape. Apparently, Professor Snape took points away because they choose to sis with their friends with other houses. If that wasn't enough, Professor Snape asked difficult questions with the apparent reason of ridiculing Mister Potter and insulted him. He even assigned him an unwarranted detention for rightfully questioning Professor Snape."

Outwardly, Dumbledore frowned but inwardly he cursed. "Is that so?" He them attempted to use passive Legilimency to see if Harry was speaking the truth but he was shocked when he only came up with blankness and static. His stomach dropped as he saw Harry narrowing his eyes and looking away from him.

Shite. He didn't know why he couldn't read Harry's mind and he was sure that it wasn't because of the Heir ring since Minerva assured him that Harry had no idea of his inheritance and Minerva was loyal, despite of her annoying habit of questioning his decisions and orders. Maybe it was to horcrux?

"It is, Headmaster. I don't have any reason to lie," answered Harry curtly.

"I can accept his favoritism to his own house. That's inevitable as even Minerva, Pomona and I do it from time to time. But insulting students, a first year which makes it worse, is not something I will stand by and do nothing," said Flitwick, his voice firm and harsh. There was no questioning his goblin side now.

Dumbledore hummed for a second before he nodded. "The taken points will be revised and you won't have to assist detention, Harry. I will speak to Professor Snape about his behavior. I will make sure that this is the first and last time it happens."

Harry nodded in thanks. "That will be appreciated, Headmaster. I would hate to not be taught correctly or be given an undeserving grade by a professor that hates my guts for something my father did to him."

Dumbledore frowned. "How did you become aware of that, Harry?"

"Professor Flitwick told me."

"I see."

Knowing that they were being dismissed, Harry and Filius stood up and left the office. Harry didn't notice but Fawkes eyes never left his form. What he did notice was the Headmaster's attempt to use Legilimency and failing thanks to his Heir Ring. He hoped that Dumbledore had not reached the conclusion of him becoming aware of his heritage. While Dumbledore wouldn't be able to do nothing about it, he would prefer to keep it under wraps until he at least spoke with the Regents and Heads of the Houses allied to the House of Potter.

Still, Harry was more of a realist than an idealist and he knew that there was a chance Dumbledore had managed to get to that conclusion so he was going to act with that likely possibility in mind. He would have to have the goblins acting more discreet and faster. It would take some more money but it was still doable. The Headmaster's stunt had confirmed that he couldn't be trusted at all.

 **XXXXXXXXXX**

"Are you an idiot, Severus?"

Snape's eyes widened. "Headmaster?"

Dumbledore glared at him. "I told you to be subtle about it. And you went and did the complete opposite of that. The only good thing that came out of it is that I now know that the Horcrux on his forehead has a deeper connection with his psyche and that it will certainly be more difficult to manipulate him. He is a man in the body of a child. The Dursley forced him to grow up instead of making it so he yearned for a parental figure."

Snape sneered. "He is just an arrogant brat that has no respect for those better than him. He is worse than his father."

Dumbledore scowled. "I don't care about your petty thoughts, Severus. You had one job, and you failed to do so. You will have to use the members of your house to bring the boy's confidence down in order to make him more malleable."

Snape scowled too and looked away. "It shall be done, Headmaster."

Dumbledore nodded. "Good."

 **XXXXXXXXXX**

Harry found his opportunity to talk to Daphne Greengrass the day after what happened with Snape. Ravenclaw and Slytherin had Herbology together. Harry wasn't that interested in the class but it was one of the core subjects, meaning that he was going to put all his effort to get the best grades he could.

Today they were going to learn the spells used to control magical plant life, which were the Fire-Making Charm and the Severing Charm, though Harry felt that a spell that could generate fire and other that could supposedly cut through tree trunks were a waste of potential.

"Alright students, please pair up for your assignments. Remember to stand a few feet away from your targets! We don't anyone to get singed or accidentally lose a body part."

"Potter, be my partner."

Harry raised an eyebrow, as did a few others, when Daphne made the demand. Her voice was even and her expression was impassive. Still, Harry could see that she wanted for him to accept. Harry noticed Draco's red face.

He smiled. "Of course, Miss Greengrass."

She nodded at him and they walked towards the targets they were going to be using as targets. It was a plant that was extremely resistant to fire and could regrew its roots as fast as they were severed. He couldn't recall its name because it had twenty-five syllables on it at least. Professor Sprout had impressed him when she had said the name from the top of her head like it was nothing.

When they stood at a safe distance Harry motioned towards the monstrous plant. "Ladies first."

"Thank you."

Harry watched as she produced a light brown colored wand with wavy designs from within her robes. Her eyes narrowed slightly in concentration before she made a motion with her wand and pointed at the plant.

" _Incendio!"_

A decent sized flame flew from her wand and struck the plant, which shrieked for a second before the flames were snuffed and there wasn't sign of there being a fire about to consume it on the first place.

Daphne's wand then snapped in the direction of the plant.

" _Diffindo!"_

A barely visible wave of cutting magic flew from Daphne's wand and severed a few roots of the plant. They grew back before the severed stumps fell to the floor.

Harry nodded at Daphne. "Impressive. You managed two do the two of them successfully on your first try. You are very talented, Miss Greengrass."

She nodded at him in acknowledgement of his words before she stepped away from where she had been standing. She looked at him expectantly… or at least he thought it was expectantly. Her facial expression had not changed at all.

Harry stood where Daphne had been before and with a flick of his wrist his ebony wand from the sleeves of his robes. From the corner of his eyes he saw Daphne raising an eyebrow at him. He smiled before he focused on the green monstrosity in front of him.

" _Incendio!"_

His produced fire flew faster and burner hotter than Daphne's by a significant margin. The plant shrieked louder and it took more time to snuff out the fire and even then, it looked like it had been singed a little.

Harry flicked his wand towards the plant.

" _Diffindo!"_

Several stumps were cut and they were grown back before they reached the floor.

"… you are not bad yourself, Potter."

Harry smiled. "Thank you, Miss Greengrass. Would you like to continue practicing? While it is obvious that we can perform the spells successfully, I've been told that practicing makes perfect. Who knows, we might get good enough with these spells that we could find an alternate use to them."

Daphne peered at him for a few seconds before she nodded. "Your proposition has merit. We shall continue practicing."

Harry moved away and allowed Daphne to stand in the firing spot. She quickly performed both charms with the same results from her first try. It wasn't surprising, since doing a spell for the second time would very unlikely show a difference.

Harry took the spot. He performed the _Incendio_ with the same results as his first time. Before he performed the _Diffindo_ he spoke to Daphne. "If I may ask, Miss Greengrass, do I perchance make better company than Mister Malfoy?"

His question caught her off guard but the only proof of this was her raised eyebrow. "Why would you ask such a question?"

Harry smiled knowingly. "Considering that it was you who asked me to partner up for this, the way his glaring at me and how uncomfortable you seemed during History of Magic as he attempted to start a conversation with you, well, a guy wonders."

Daphne stared at him for a few seconds before she crossed her arms. "You are rather observant, Potter."

" _Diffindo!_ You'll find that it has served me well during my years growing up with bigoted and moronic muggle relatives."

Daphne took his place and raised both eyebrows at him. "You lived with muggles?"

Harry nodded. "I did. Headmaster Dumbledore is my magical guardian and he put me there to protect me from Death Eaters seeking revenge for their master. I'm sure it wasn't intentional on the Headmaster's part, but I wasn't treated the best by them and I had to learn to fend for myself at a rather young age. Becoming observant was a necessity that turned into a habit."

"I see," said Daphne before she performed _Incendio._ She paused for a few seconds before she spoke again. "To answer your question, yes, I believe you do make better company than Draco Malfoy, Potter."

Harry smiled and watched as her _Diffindo_ cut slightly into a root that she hadn't reached in her first two tries. "Is that so? I'm glad."

 **XXXXXXXXXX**

"Professor Sinistra, what application does knowing the position of planets and star have when performing more conventional magic?"

The beautiful dark-skinned astrologist smiled at Harry. "An excellent question, Mister Potter. Knowing the positions of planets and stars during certain times of the year can help you when performing rituals that use the ambient magic of the planet to power themselves. A ritual performed during the winter solstice is likely to have better and more lasting effects if the same ritual is performed on a normal day of the year."

"Why does planets and stars affect magic performed in the earth?"

"Because the magic of the ambient is everywhere, Mister Potter, and it is interconnected. When the planets align or when a specific constellation can be seen from a part of the world, they affect the ambient magic here on earth. For example, the Apollo constellation would help you power a fire based ritual or spell if you can see it from where you are standing. There are even runic arrays for rituals and arithmetic equations for spells that take the positions of planets, stars and entire constellations into consideration in order for them to be successful."

Harry nodded at her. "I see. Thank you, Professor. That was most enlightening."

"You are welcomed, Mister Potter. Now, class, if you turn your telescopes exactly three centimeters to the right you will be able to see Venus and…"

Harry decided then that Astronomy might be worth to pay more than just cursory attention. But the real worth of his conversation with Professor Sinistra was that she had gotten him interested in Ancient Runes and Arithmancy.

Those two were the electives he was going to pick during his third year.

 **XXXXXXXXXX**

"Instructions are on the board. Begin!"

Harry and Hermione exchanged raised eyebrows before they shrugged and began to work on preparing the ingredients for the Boil Curing Potion. Snape had ignored everyone when he entered the classroom, took roll call and used his wand to make instructions appear on the black board behind his desk.

Harry had been half expecting for the immature man to pull something similar to what happened on their first class but it seemed like the Headmaster, for all that Harry distrusted him as an individual, took his job seriously and had a talk with the Potions Professor.

This was proved further when Snape gave them an Exceed Expectations for the potion he and Hermione had brewed. While Harry felt that they deserved an O because the potion looked exactly like it was supposed to look according to the instructions, Harry was not going to complain and antagonize Snape further. As long as he did his job correctly and graded Harry fairly, episodes like the one from their first class then they weren't going to be having any issues.

On a completely unrelated note, Hermione pouting for not getting a perfect score was as amusing as it was cute.

 **XXXXXXXXXX**

"Well, we finished introductions."

Harry scowled. "It seems like I will have to study DADA at my own pace. Professor Quirrell will take us at a snail's pace and we will barely learn anything before the term is done if that will be the norm for all of his lessons, which I am inclined to believe will be."

Susan nodded her head. "I agree. Since we only have Flying practice during Fridays, I say we use an empty classroom to hold DADA study and practice sessions."

Hannah nodded in agreement. "I will tell Neville, though he won't be able to practice until he gets his new wand."

Harry shook his head. "That won't matter since we will focus more on theory at first. BY the time we start practicing he will already have his wand."

"Erm, Harry, do you think we can join you?"

Harry turned towards Terry, who had been the one to speak. He noticed that Padma, Sue Li and Lisa were standing behind him with nervous but hopeful expressions on their faces. Harry smiled and nodded at them. "Of course. The more, the merrier. That way there will be more people to help others than don't grasp the material as quickly."

The four of them sighed in relief before nodding their heads.

"I think you should ask Daphne Greengrass if she would like to join, Harry. She seemed nice during Herbology and you said that she was very talented in casting spell and understanding general theory. She could be helpful," suggested Hermione.

Susan and Hannah exchanged discreet, knowing looks.

Harry's smile widened a tad. "That might be a wonderful idea, Hermione. You are brilliant, you know that?"

Everyone laughed as Hermione blushed, pouted and ducked her head to hide her embarrassment.

 **XXXXXXXXXX**

"Miss Greengrass, may I ask how do you find Defense Against the Dark Arts classes?"

Daphne raised an eyebrow at Harry as she looked up from the dittany she was watering. "They are adequate, Potter."

Harry chuckled in amusement. "I don't think finishing introductions after two days' worth of lessons should be considered adequate, Miss Greengrass."

"Oh?"

Harry nodded. "Yes. Professor Quirrell might know the material he is teaching, hence his annoying use of garlic due to fear of retaliation from that vampire he had to ward off while he was in Albania, but his stuttering will make it so we barely finish half of the curriculum for first year."

Daphne was silent but she was looking at Harry with interest, so he continued. "Because of this, me and my friends from Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff and one Gryffindor have decided to start studying in order to keep up, and perhaps surpass, the pace of the curriculum. I would like to extend an invitation for you to join our study group. Defense Against the Dark Arts is one of the most important core subjects and it would be within our best interest to learn as much as we can."

"Why are you inviting me?"

Harry smiled. "You are a very talented witch, Miss Greengrass. You proved that when we were practicing the _Incendio_ and _Diffindo_ spells in the previous class. A would hate to see that talent go to waste. Also, you are more than likely to be of help if one of us fails to understand the material or needs help with casting a spell."

Daphne peered at him impassively for almost a minute before she nodded. "I accept."

Harry's smile widened. "Excellent. We-"

"On one condition."

Harry raised an amused eyebrow. "Name it."

"I would like to invite two members from my house."

Harry frowned slightly. "Me accepting the condition would depend on who those members are."

Daphne raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"

"Let's just say that I have already clashed with Draco Malfoy and his clique and we aren't on the best of terms."

Slowly, amusement filled Daphne's cool blue eyes. "I take it that you don't like him, then."

Harry snorted. "Understatement of the century, Miss Greengrass."

Her expression was no longer stony. "Then you don't have to worry. I was referring to Tracey Davis and Blaise Zabini."

Harry smiled. "If that's the case I don't have an issue with them joining. In fact, I think I would've asked them myself eventually. Just like you, they are true Slytherins."

"True Slytherins?"

Harry nodded. "Yes. Unlike Mister Malfoy over there, who is blatantly obvious about his disapproval of us associating, it took me two lessons to determine that Miss Davis and Mister Zabini don't care either way whether we speak to each other or not."

Daphne's mouth twitched, but her eyes betrayed her amusement. "I see."

 **XXXXXXXXXX**

"Up!"

The broom shot up and smacked into Harry's palm and he grimaced slightly at the sharp pain. He looked around to see the degrees of success of his year mates. It was surprising to see Hermione struggling with anything magic, but it was understandable since she had mentioned she had a 'healthy fear of the effects of gravity'.

Draco Malfoy had apparently succeeded on his first try and was looking smugly at the others. He waved almost cheekily at him when he looked towards him and he grew red with anger when he noticed that Harry was also successful.

Harry noticed that Daphne had also succeeded on her first attempt and she wasn't making a fuse about it, as were Tracy and Blaise. The other Slytherins had varying degrees of success but they had at least managed to get their brooms to move, unlike Ronald Weasly who was growing redder as he screamed at his broom.

His friends were faring slightly better and after a few tries they all were holding their brooms on their hands.

Madam Hooch got everyone's attention by blowing her whistle. "Good. Now that everyone has their brooms at hand, mount them. When I blow on my whistle you will kick off slightly off the ground, hover in place for a few seconds before you lean forward to go back to the ground. We will repeat the exercise until you can do it seamlessly."

The whistle was blown.

Harry managed to do as he was asked, as did a few others. Harry noticed that all of those from Pureblood Families seemed comfortable in brooms while muggleborns looked slightly uncomfortable and nervous. Hermione barely left the ground, much to his amusement.

Neville suddenly shop up into the air, a high-pitched scream leaving his mouth as he clutched the broom tightly.

"Mister Longbottom! Come down this instant!"

Harry didn't think about it and he shot out on his own broom after his out-of-control friend. It was surreal, he reflected, as he flew behind Neville and easily followed his twists and turns while steadily catch up to him. He had never flown on a broom before but for some reason he felt comfortable doing so. As a matter of fact, it felt natural to be flying on one. Instinctively he knew what he needed to do in order to accelerate, break, go up, go down, go left and go right.

Eventually he caught up to Neville and he used psychokinesis to pry off his fingers from their hold of the room and he grabbed him by the scrub of his robes. Neville suddenly stopped but his broom didn't and it smacked into the walls of the castle, splintering into hundreds of pieces. Neville was pale as he held onto Harry's arm probably tighter than he did to his room.

Harry chuckled as he looked down at his scared, unlucky friend. "I don't think brooms are your thing, Nev."

Unsurprisingly, Neville didn't deign him with an answer.

Harry flew them back to where the students and Madam Hooch were and they were received with cheers for some reason. Harry lowered Neville to the ground gently and the pudgy boy fell on his arse the moment he touched solid ground. He was still pale and shivering.

Harry finished lowering his broom and he dismounted it. He addressed a worried looking Madam Hooch. "I managed to stop him from smacking into the castle wall though the broom didn't make it. Still, I suggest he is taken to the healing ward just in case."

She nodded her head. "That's be most sensible," she admitted before she picked the trembling Neville up and helped him stand. She turned towards Harry and gave him an apprising look. "That was very impressive flying, Mister Potter. I suggest you try for the Ravenclaw Quidditch Team next year."

Harry nodded his head. "I will think about it. I find flying enjoyable. Playing Quidditch might give me the opportunity to do so more often."

She nodded, pleased, before she addressed everyone else. "I will be taking Mister Longbottom to the healing ward. If I see anyone above the ground that person will be expelled before they can say quaffle."

All of them nodded in understanding and Madam Hooch led Neville away. Harry was congratulated by his year mates for saving Neville though Hermione admonished as much as she congratulated him through her teary eyes.

"Hmph, I don't know what's so impressive, Potter. Anyone could've done that."

Harry turned towards Draco Malfoy, who had spoken those words in a derisive tone. Harry didn't even acknowledge him before he turned back to speaking with Hermione, Susan, Hannah, Terry and Padma.

Draco grew red. "Oy, Potter! Don't ignore me."

Harry did just that.

Draco seemed ready to pop a blood vessel as his nostrils flared. "You dare pay more attention to mudbloods and blood traitors over me, Potter! When my father hears about this I-"

Harry shut Draco up with a look.

"Do we need a repeat of the lesson I imparted to you on the train, Mister Malfoy?"

Draco's transition from angry red to Neville-pale-white had more than one Gryffindor sniggering.

Harry inclined his head. "I thought so. You were saying, Hermione?"

Unnoticed by everyone, Daphne's expression went from stony to amused and a small smile appeared on her face as she looked at the softly laughing Harry Potter.

Interesting.

 **XXXXXXXXXX**

"PRECK!"

Harry looked up from his Potion essay to see Aura dive bombing towards him amidst the contingency of other owls that were making a delivery, a letter clutched on her wicked talons. He was on the Great Hall, using the free time he had after flying practice to finish all of his homework for the next week in order to use the rest of his free time on reading more about Transfiguration, Charms and DADA, which were the subjects he had the most interest in. He was also going to read about Potions too, just in case Snape decided to be his wonderfully unpleasant self.

Aura landed on top of his book and he frowned at her with disapproval.

She promptly ignored his look and extended her leg imperiously, presenting him his letter.

"Harry, she is beautiful," complimented Hermione as she reached forward to stroke her glossy white feathers.

Harry took the letter from Aura's clutches. "Too bloody intelligent for her own good I would rather say," muttered Harry. He was promptly swatted over the head with a wing as Aura huffed in anger. Harry laughed nervously. "And I think you should be complimented for that too, not your obviously perfect appearance."

The way she nodded her head after he finished speaking seemed to say 'That's better. Know your role, silly human.'

Hermione giggled. "I think I like her."

Harry rolled his eyes. He quickly opened the letter and as he read its content a pleased smile stretched across his face. The letter had come from Sharpclaw. They had decided to use Aura as communications between them so as not to arise the amount of suspicion and eagle from Gringotts would. The letter described how forty percent of the Potter Main Vault had been used to reacquire and start the restoration of the many businesses and properties the Potter House had or used to have across Britain and Europe.

It was all going according to plan. While they had to use an immense amount of money to invest on everything, Harry felt it was worth it. Besides, he would regain the money back in relatively no time (Four years at the most, even less if they were lucky). Also, part of that money went into the restoration of the destroyed Godric's Hollow, which was going to be ready by the time winter holidays came around, meaning, that he was not going to go back to the Dursley's.

He looked up and caught the eyes of Neville, Susan and Hannah, who had also received letters, though Neville had also received a transparent ball of some kind that turned red when he grabbed it. He raised an eyebrow at them when they finished reading their letters. They nodded.

Harry's pleased smile became a grin.

Hermione, still stroking Aura's feathers, looked at him curiously. "What did your letter say that has you so happy, Harry?"

Harry waved her off with a smile. "Nothing important, really. It's just that I feel that this week has been very productive despite it just being the first one."

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

I have been blown away by the response this story has gotten. I was not expecting it. If you keep it up I might continue delivering chapter this fast since seeing your revies, favorite and follows motivates me to write, write and write until I'm left staring blankly at the computer screen. A lot of things happened, a lot was set up and I like to think that I did a fairly good job with the interactions between characters.

Quirrellmort is an idiot. Harry is not about to let himself be held back in one of the subjects he interested in, nor he would allow for his friends to suffer the same, hence the studying club. I think it is obvious what it will become in the future.

History of Magic… zzz…zzz…zzz

Never agreed with how Houses seemed to shun anyone that wasn't from their house. Since we have characters with common sense, and Harry doesn't believe in that dragon dung, that way of thinking isn't going to last long.

Charms FTW. I decided to have Flitwick teach the Lumos charm in Charms, instead of it being done in DADA like in canon, because to me it is the most basic charm one could learn it could be used to get students into the right mindset regarding that branch of magic.

Transfiguration MVP. Changed a few things so it makes more sense and is easier for me to explain and explore. It also helps that my version of the formula mixes better with my AU than the formula in canon. Because, what the hell does viciousness has to do with transforming an object. And why would you rely on an unknown component for an art so complex and potentially dangerous as Transfiguration.

Snape is a bigger idiot than Quirrellmort. He is brilliant when it comes to Potions and the Dark Arts but he falls short on everything else. Harry is not to be messed with, I think we learned that today.

Dumbledore might want to check his head.

I have always pictured Daphne with black hair and blue eyes. I think the one who resembles Daphne the most is Yukinoshita Yukino from Oregairu (SNAFU), both in personality and physical appearance.

Astronomy has its uses, I guess. Harry got interested in Ancient Runes and Arithmancy due to an errant comment from Professor Sinistra though, so there's that.

Blaise and Tracy will not be left behind. I have plans for them and they involve them being around Harry as at least allies.

Harry will enjoy flying immensely but I am still undecided if he will play quidditch or not. I might toss up a coin.

A productive first week, indeed.

I will try to go through first and second year as fast as I can, since the interesting stuff of my story begins during the third year. My hope is to have finished both years just after 100k words. I believe that's all. If you have any questions, feel free to ask them through the review section and I will do my best to answer them as long as it doesn't give away significant plot points.

See ya! Remember to lock your cabinets and cupboards or I will be eating your muffins.


	4. Pumpkins and Trolls

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Harry Potter. It belongs to J. K. Rowling, Warner Bros and Bloomsbury. I only own the original plot ideas and concepts that I implement in this piece of fiction to make it a bit more original and entertaining. Make sure to read the A/N at the end of every chapter to catch any news about the story. Enjoy!

A few pointers before we start the chapter.

 **AU:** Magical cores are a thing. Not everyone has the same magical potential. Wizards and witches can tap into the ambient magic for the most powerful rituals and spells, but it is extremely difficult and very few can do it.

 **AU:** There are ancient and noble houses. The Sacred Twenty-Eight are such houses. House Malfoy is not one of the Sacred Twenty-Eight since they are originally from France, and the Sacred Twenty-Eight refer to the founding _British_ families of Magical Britain. The Potters, however, are a member of the Sacred Twenty-Eight, since their ancestry can be traced back to the Peverell Family, who were one of the many that led the foundation of Magical Britain.

 **AU:** Britain's Wizard/Witches Population is slightly over than 20,000, instead of just a few thousand.

 **AU:** Godric's Hollow belonged solely to the House of Potter and its where their main manor was located. It was abandoned after Death Eaters mostly destroyed it.

I believe that's all for now. If you are not put off by the summary nor by what I established above this final message, then I truly hope you enjoy the story.

* * *

 **Pumpkins and Trolls**

* * *

"What are you doing sitting here with mudbloods, half-bloods and blood traitors, Daphne?"

Everyone on the Hufflepuff table that was nearby turned towards Draco Malfoy with varying degrees of hostility. He was being flanked by Crabbe, Goyle and Nott who were trying, and epically failing, to look intimidating with narrowed eyes and frowning -pouting, really- lips.

Normally, Harry would have immediately rose to address the insulting of his friends and remind the blond ponce about what happened on the train, but he felt curious about what Daphne's response was going to be. She, Tracey and Blaise had started hanging out with them after Harry invited Daphne to their future gatherings to study for Defense Against the Dark Arts and while they acted aloof and apathetic almost all the time, they never shied away from helping any of their group with their homework or understanding a complicated concept that couldn't be grasped.

Daphne turned her cool eyes to Malfoy for a second before she focused back on her book. "That's none of your concern, Malfoy. Also, don't refer to me with that kind of familiarity."

Malfoy frowned. "You shouldn't be sullying yourself with these pests, Daphne. You should hang out with proper, true wizards. Like us."

Harry had heard enough and he turned towards Terry, an eyebrow raised. "Correct me if I'm wrong, but aren't Hermione's _Diffindo_ and _Incendio_ more effective than the ones they showed in Herbology class? That what I saw during our last lesson, I believe."

Terry nodded. "Your believes are correct, mate."

Hermione smiled shyly, blushed and hid her face behind her book.

Draco's nostrils flared and his skin turned red. His clique only narrowed their eyes. "What are you implying, Potter?!"

Harry's expression became amused. "I am implying what I would be thinking if you truly didn't get what I was implying with my question."

Malfoy snarled. "You think you are so smart, Potter?!"

"Well, I _am_ a Ravenclaw."

Daphne's mouth twitched

Susan and Hannah giggled.

Tracey, Blaise and Terry smirked.

Hermione snorted into her book.

Neville snickered.

They were all glared at but it was ineffective.

"Don't you dare mock me you filthy half-blood! The only thing you know how to do is talk and sound smart! I bet you wouldn't act so high and mighty if you found yourself at wand point!" Draco suddenly smirked. "That's it. I challenge you to a dual, tonight after curfew."

Harry stared blankly at Draco for a few seconds before he turned towards Daphne. "How did he end up in Slytherin?"

Daphne shrugged her shoulders and idly passed to the next page.

Harry nodded in understanding. "I see." He turned towards Draco, who was shaking with rage. "So, you want to challenge me to a duel after curfew, agree to meet up at an specific place only for you to not show up and tell a teacher where I would be to get me in trouble?"

Draco paled. His friends didn't look any better.

Harry shook his head in disappointment. "I think I have overestimated you, Malfoy. I thought that with you being put in Slytherin it would've meant that you were someone that I had to truly look back over my shoulder in case you were planning something against me or my friends, but you are as transparent as my muggle cousin, perhaps more if I am completely honest. I apologize for that misconception of your character."

Daphne turned towards Tracey and Blaise and she hid the small smile that appeared on her face when she saw the impressed looks on their faces as they looked at Harry. Now there was no doubt in their minds that Harry Potter wasn't just intelligent sounding words and fame. He was someone formidable that you'd rather have as an alley than a foe. Daphne was glad that the only dormmates she considered worthwhile investing on were able to realize that sooner rather than later.

Draco turned pink with humiliation. "When my father hears about this…"

Harry waved him off. "Yeah, yeah. Now would you kindly leaves us be? I have more important things that demand my attention." He then turned towards to address his group before Draco even moved a muscle. "Mister Hagrid has invited me over to his house to share some tea and he told me I could bring some friends. Anyone would like to come?"

Hermione raised her hand with a smile. "I'll go with you, Harry."

Terry shook his head. "Maybe next time, mate. I have to finish my Potions and Transfiguration essays, ugh."

Tracey and Blaise shook their heads in the negative.

Daphne also shook her head. "I have other matters to attend to."

"Gran is going to pick me up later today in order to get my wand."

"And I will be going with them," chimed in Hannah.

Susan smiled somewhat bashfully. "I'll be happy to go if you'll have me, Harry."

"Excellent. Mister Hagrid would be expecting us at his home at seven, so I suggest with meet up ten minutes before that here and we can make our way there together. Is that alright with you two?

"Yeah."

"Of course."

And just like that everyone was back focusing on what they were doing before Malfoy interrupted them. Said blond ponce was looking at them all with indignant rage before he snarled pitifully and turned around to walk back to his table, his clique following after him like lost puppies.

As they left, Harry let a pleased smirk appear on his face. He didn't doubt that a calm Draco would be able to think of a half decent plan to inconvenience him so he was making sure that he was angered and that said anger was directed at him, since he could deal with the likes of Malfoy quite easily. He was sure Daphne, Tracey and Blasé could do so too but he wasn't that sure about his other friends, whom Harry knew had not been through the same things at him, meaning that they had not developed the same mindset as him.

Harry had been dealing with bullies all his life and he knew how the likes of them thought, meaning that predicting their actions and the motives of their actions was child's play for Harry now. Harry ignored that little voice in his head that told him that it was very amusing to insult Malfoy, though he didn't necessarily disagree with it.

 **XXXXXXXXXX**

There was a knock on the door.

With a smile on his face and a motion towards Fang to stay put, Hagrid opened the door. His smile widened when he saw the black-haired and green-eyed boy he knew to be Harry Potter, though he was a bit taller than he was expecting. Next to him were two girls, a brown haired one with matching eyes and a red haired with hazel eyes. The three of them were smiling at him.

"Ah, Harry! And ya brought yer friends! Come inside! Come!"

The three children quickly slipped inside and Hagrid closed the door behind them.

Fang barked in greeting, slobbering saliva all over his couch.

Hermione yelped and hid behind Harry, who was looking at the gigantic dog with wide eyes. Susan was also looking at the dog with a scared expression but she didn't hide behind Harry. She hid behind Hagrid, who was bigger than Harry and most surely a better shield.

The half-giant laughed. "Ye don' have ta be scared! Fang might look scary but the old fella' won't hurt a fly!"

As if to prove Hagrid's words, Fang panted happily for a second before laying his head back into the couch.

"I don't think I've seen a dog that big, Mister Hagrid," commented Harry, calmer now, as he grabbed Hermione's hand, a gesture that helped her calm down. Hermione squeezed Harry's hand in thanks before she looked at Fang, her expression curious and still a bit scared but she wasn't hiding behind Harry anymore. Susan also stepped away from behind Hagrid, her expression matching Hermione's.

Hagrid motioned towards a set of seats and they noticed that each one could comfortably hold two of them at the same time. "There be no need ta call me 'Mistah', Harry. I'm just Hagrid ta ye and yer friends. Now, get comfortable. There be rock cakes on the table. Tea'll be done shortly."

Harry inclined his head. "If you don't mind, Hagrid."

The three of them quickly took their seats. Susan and Hermione shared one of the seats while Harry took one for himself. They reached for the rock cakes but when they touched them, they realized that they felt exactly like a rock would feel. Seeing that Hagrid wasn't paying attention since he was bent over and facing towards his chimney, Harry quickly put the treat back into the plate, followed by Susan and Hermione.

They didn't have to wait long for the tea, which Hagrid handed to them in mugs that were as big as their heads.

Harry took a sip. It was surprisingly good. He smiled at the giant as he let himself fall on a worn out custom-made leather couch. "Thank you for the invitation, Hagrid, though I wonder what brought this on."

Hagrid chuckled. "I jus' wanted ta meet ye, Harry. The las' time I saw ye, ye could fit in one of my hands. I was also supposed ta be the one that showed ye through Diagon Alley but Professor McGonagall beat me ta it."

"Is that so? I thought that it was Professor McGonagall's duty as Deputy Headmistress to introduce all muggleborn students to Magical Britain."

Hagrid nodded. "Aye, but da Headmaster felt that with Harry being who he is, I would've been more suited for the job. Professor McGonagall was very insistent though, so she got away with it. It's nice that she wanted to do her duties, but she should've listened to Dumbledore. He always knows best after all."

Susan and Harry exchanged a quick, discreet look. Hermione continued to enjoy the tea but an opened newspaper caught her attention. She decided to finish her tea first.

Harry smiled at Hagrid, disarmingly. "While it would have been interesting if it had been you to show me around, Hagrid, I can assure you that Professor McGonagall performed an excellent job. She made sure I was prepared and that I knew what I was getting into."

"Then I can't complain if that be the case."

Harry nodded. "You mentioned that you met me when I was a baby. Did you know my parents?"

Hagrid nodded heavily, his eyes sad. "Aye, I did. A fine lad, that James though he could be a bit much sometimes. Lily was lovely to be around… until ye set that mouth of hers off. She could spit fire worse than a dragon when she put her brilliant, and scary I might add, mind to it."

Harry smiled softly. "They seem to have been great people."

"Two of the greatest, I tell ye. Took the fight to You-Know-Who. Bravest Gryffindors I have ever seen, though your mother would've also fit in Ravenclaw. It was horrible, what happened to them. No one deserved that. Thankfully Dumbledore thought fast and had me take ye to the Dursleys."

Harry's smile was a bit strained now. "I'm sure you weren't aware, Hagrid, but I wasn't treated the best by the Dursley. They hate everything magic and every time I did accidental magic, I was punished through starvation and isolation for days, sometimes an entire week."

Hermione gave Harry a shocked look. It was the first time she heard of this. Susan reached forward and took one of Harry's one in hers, to show him that she was there for him. She knew that Harry didn't really care about his treatment, since it was that treatment that made him the formidable person he was now, but she was sure it still affected him, no matter how well he hid it.

Hagrid's eyes were wide. "But Dumbledore said that ye'll be in good hands and that Petunia would look after ye with care!"

Harry shrugged his shoulders. "The Headmaster was apparently wrong, Hagrid. But I am sure he was not aware of it and he had a lot on his plate. Death Eaters still needed to be captured and order needed to be kept, and it still took years to achieve it. By that time, it was probably too late."

Hagrid was almost crying. "I'm so sorry, Harry! I never knew! I would've taken ye away from that horrible place and raised ye myself had I known! But Dumbledore said he put wards over the House to make sure ye were safe. How could he have not known what was happening?"

Harry made sure to keep his expression confused. "Perhaps the wards were only to keep me safe from threats from the outside. I am sure the Great Headmaster Dumbledore would have come to my rescue immediately if he had known how I was being treated."

Hagrid nodded, his expression still sad and regretful. "Ye right, Harry. Dumbledore is human after all, so I guess he can make mistakes after all."

Harry nodded in agreement and they settled to enjoy the teat before it got cold. Susan and Harry exchanged another look and she nodded her head at him discreetly before she turned back to her tea. Harry then saw Hermione giving him a teary-eyed look and he smiled reassuringly at her, trying to convey to her that he was no longer affected by his past. It wasn't necessarily the truth but Hermione shouldn't have to worry about that. Her focus should be on realizing the immense potential she had.

Harry turned towards the half-giant and he didn't know how to feel about him. He had been there with Dumbledore when he was left with the Dursley, but Harry could see that Hagrid wasn't that bright, that he was a follower and that he was fanatically loyal to Dumbledore. He had planted a seed of doubt in Dumbledore's supposed incapableness of being wrong, however, by mentioning how he was treated.

In the end Harry decided that Hagrid wasn't really a threat but that he should be kept within an arm's length due to his loyalty Dumbledore, who Harry trusted less and less. He still wasn't sure what was Dumbledore's game but Harry was sure that it wasn't as 'Light' as the faction he claimed to be the leader of.

"There was a break in at Gringotts!" Exclaimed Hermione suddenly. She was holding the Daily Prophet for Harry and Susan. It showed a moving picture of several goblins examining an opened vault. Harry recognized Sharpclaw as one of those goblins.

Hagrid frowned. "Ah, aye, nasty piece of business that one. They attempted to steal from one of Hogwarts Vaults at Gringotts but thankfully it had been already emptied that same day earlier. Whoever tried to steal from Gringotts must've have been mad, I tell ye."

Harry hmmed in thought for a moment. "Hermione, when did it says that it happened?"

"16th of July. That was almost two months ago! This newspaper is from… five days ago. Why are they covering it just now?"

"Probably because the goblins wanted to make a full investigation first before they allowed the press to publish anything," chimed in Susan. She turned towards Hagrid, hazel eyes piercing him and showing him that she knew that there was a reason why he had asked that. "What do you think, Harry?"

Harry paused for a second before slowly shrugging. "I think it was fortunate that the Vault was already emptied and that it happened after I was there."

Harry recalled Professor McGonagall claiming to have Hogwarts business to see to in Gringotts. Coincidence?

He very much doubted it.

 **XXXXXXXXXX**

"Did you know that Headmaster Dumbledore intended for Hagrid to be the one to introduce me to the Wizarding World?"

Minerva gave Harry a sharp look. The lesson was already finished and they were alone in the classroom. He was holding four pieces of timber, which she knew he had managed to transform into a fork, a knife, a plate and a goblet successfully after a few short tries. If Minerva was honest, Harry had more talent for Transfiguration than his father and Filius could only sing praises about his talent for Charms. Severus said that he was barely adequate, which she knew meant that he was excelling. The other Professors, except poor Cuthbert obviously, also spoke well of his dedication to their subjects.

She was proud of him, immensely so, but that didn't mean she was going to allow him to question her out of the blue like this.

"Excuse me?" She asked, an eyebrow raised in an expression she reserved for particularly daft students.

Harry frowned. "I'm asking if you were aware of the Headmaster's intention of having Hagrid direct me through my first experience with Magical Britain."

Minerva matched his expression. "Watch your tone, young man. I don't appreciate you implying that I was going to leave my duties to someone else." When he inclined his head in apology, she continued. "To answer your question, I knew that Albus intended to send someone else. But Hagrid?"

Harry nodded. "Yes. Hagrid himself told me when I had tea with him last Friday night. I don't think that would've been a good idea, am I right?"

Minerva's snort reminded Harry that she was a proud, Scottish witch. "Not a good idea would be an understatement. Hagrid would've rushed through everything to get the Hogwarts business done and he would've barely allowed you to get galleons… from…your… trust… vault… Merlin!"

Harry smiled knowingly. "I believe further proof on whether the Headmaster wanted me or not to know about my heritage isn't needed in light of this new development."

Minerva rubbed her forehead with her index finger and thumb. "What are you playing at, Albus?"

"I would like to know that very much but right now we only have enough proof to say that he wanted me as ignorant as possible about how Magical Britain worked and that he wanted access to some of the Potter Fortune. What we need to find out is the reason behind his actions."

Minerva closed her eyes and for a few long moments she said nothing. Eventually she looked at Harry in the eye. "That is true, Harry. I'm sure Albus had to have a good reason to do this, because if that isn't the case, not even all the favors he is owed and his accomplishments from the past would see him through what he brought upon himself."

"I hope so too, Professor."

Minerva never thought to question what was it exactly about she said that Harry hoped.

 **XXXXXXXXXX**

It was Neville, surprisingly, who broke the silence.

"Um, so, erm, how do we do this?"

Harry smiled at him. Neville had started to slowly come out of his shell after he acquired his thirteen inches cherry wand with a unicorn hair core. He had showed everyone else who had made fun of him that he had enough talent to be a very good wizard. Harry estimated that Neville was just behind Daphne and Hermione in talent. His true calling was always going to be Herbology, nobody could say he was going to fall short in other subjects…except Potions. Professor Snape apparently terrified him.

"Originally, I was planning for us to first focus on theory and then on practical work because I thought it was going to take more time for you to get your new wand, Nev, but since that's not the case I think we can work on both the theoretical and practical works at the same time."

"How do you suggest we go about doing that, Potter?"

Harry smiled at Daphne. "Thank you for asking, Miss Greengrass. I was thinking since we are going to be meeting every Friday on the afternoons, which we all have free, that she should spend two hours here. One hours for theoretical work and the other one for practical one. As to how we should go about doing the theoretical work, I was thinking about an lecture system where we ourselves will be explaining the subject."

Hermione raised an eyebrow. "You mean like each day one or two of us will be assigned a topic to explain to the others?"

"Exactly." Harry nodded. "I think we can cover two subjects each day in that manner. The lecturer could spend twenty minutes explaining the topic and the next ten minutes could be used to ask questions about the topic. That way we can cover two subjects theoretically in one hour. The other hour would be used to practice what we learned during the theoretical portion."

"I like it," beamed Susan. Sue Li and Lisa, who were standing behind her, nodded in agreement.

"DADA spells are dangerous, Harry. I know you know that and I know you are not planning to have us use the spells on each other. So how we are going to practice? This is just an abandoned classroom. I admit that it is bigger than the norm but an abandoned classroom is just that," said Hannah, voice rightfully concerned.

Harry smiled at her. "There are more chairs and tables than I can count. We can use them."

Hermione looked scandalized. "We can't damage school property, Harry! We would be sent to prison! Or worse, we could be expelled!"

"I think she needs to get her priorities straight," commented Terry with amusement to Padma, who nodded and giggled behind her hand.

Harry just smiled at Hermione and with a flick of his wrist his ebony wand appeared on his hand. Everyone watched as Harry flicked his wand in direction of a chair, clearly saying _Diffindo._ A chair was neatly separated in half. Before Hermione could berate him for doing that, Harry made a circular motion with his wand and pointed at the divided chair.

" _Reparo."_

A second later and the chair was good as new.

Hermione blushed and ducked her head. "Oh," she said quite meekly.

Harry chuckled at her and his wand disappeared back into the sleeve of his robe. "Does anyone have any more questions?"

"We need to make sure that not only the ones who are going to be giving the lecture are reading the material. I propose that everyone must write down at least a question about the topics we are going to be seeing. Reading ahead is important because it helps you understand more what is being talked about," said Blaise, his voice a soft monotone.

Harry nodded at him. "That's a great idea, Mister Zabini. Is that clear? Everyone has to come here with a least to questions written, one for each topic, to make sure that we are all putting the same effort."

"And anyone that doesn't bring in a question will have to endure a stinging hex to the bum," chimed in Tracey, a smirk on her face.

Harry nodded. "And anyone that doesn't bring in a question will have to endure a…" He paused before he shot a triumphant looking Tracey an amused look as everyone laughed, giggled or smiled. "You got me there. But, to be completely honest, that kind of motivation would work splendidly."

Tracey curtsied mockingly. "Glad to be of use to you, Potter."

Harry shook his head at her with a smile before he addressed the entire gathering. "Anything else?"

Lisa nudged a suddenly bashful Padma who hesitantly raised her hand. "Um, Harry, do you think I can tell my sister Parvati about this? She might not be as academically interested as me but even she is annoyed with Professor Quirrell. And she wants to learn. We have something good going on here and I'd like for her to be a part of this."

Harry smiled at the cute indian witch. "Of course, Padma. I don't have an issue with that. Does anyone have a problem with Padma's sister joining us?" Everyone shook their heads. "See? I think that if you are willing to put the necessary work to reaps the benefits of this gatherings and you respect everyone else, then you are more than welcomed."

Daphne's mouth twitched. "No Malfoy, then?"

Harry shook his head quite sharply. "Most definitely not."

Everyone laughed and Daphne hid her sudden smile behind her hand, though her mirth was betrayed by her lightly sparkling eyes. Every day that passed, Daphne was more convinced that she had made the right choice when she chose to approach Harry in order to keep Malfoy away. She only intended to be for that reason solely, but Harry had seen through them and had impressed her enough that she considered him someone worth her time and attention. Time will tell if he would become someone she would be glad to call a friend, though she suspected that it would likely come to be sooner rather than later.

After settling down, Susan chimed in. "Hannah and I spoke to Ernie about what we were planning to do after we heard him complaining about not learning as much as he wanted because of Professor Quirrell's, erm, distracting habits. He asked if he could join and we told him that we would ask everyone involved before we could give him an answer."

Hannah followed after her, smiling. "But I guess we got our answer already."

Harry nodded at her, feeling more pleased than he was letting on. "Since we are on the topic of getting more people on board, Neville, is there anyone from Gryffindor you would like to invite apart from Padma's sister?"

Neville shrank into himself slightly as everyone looked at him but gathered his courage and spoke. "Um, no I don't think so. The only blokes I talk to from my dorm are Ron, Dean and Seamus and they'd rather play chess and exploding snap than do their homework."

"Lazy people are not allowed," said Hermione swiftly.

Harry chuckled and nodded. "I agree. We don't have time to waste on dealing with that kind of students. Now, I think we have covered everything that needed to be discussed today. Next week we start with… snails and doxies, I believe." He looked at them all. "Is anyone interested on giving the first conference?"

When all of them raised their hands with varying degrees of eagerness, Harry felt like this was truly a good idea.

 **XXXXXXXXXX**

The following month and a half was spent focusing on their lessons and attending their weekly gatherings, which they had decided to call The Defense Club seeing that they were working on Defense Against the Dark Arts topics. Harry had also anonymously become the leader of said club and no one had complained, so he had no issues with essentially directing it and making the more important decisions regarding it. Either way, Hermione, Susan and Daphne helped him with the ins and outs of the club, meaning that their workload was evenly spread between the four of them.

Harry had grown close to three witches, close enough that Harry felt like they were very good friends and that their friendship would last for a long time. He was also impressed by their talent and their work ethic, with Hermione and Daphne possessing both in spades.

Susan might not be as talented as the two but she could keep up with them by working extremely hard. To be fair to her, Susan claimed that while she enjoyed all of the subjects, none of them called to her, meaning that she still hadn't found her passion.

He and Hermione just sort of clicked. At firs Harry found her blind devotion to authority figures kind of annoying, though mostly amusing, but she had grown out of it after spending so much time surrounded by useless and incompetent Professors. There was also the success of the Defense Club, which she helped in its administration and correct functioning, to consider.

Daphne at least called him Harry now… when she wasn't annoyed by him, at least, so that had to count, right?

Harry had also gotten rather close with Neville. Seeing him slowly step out of his shell and seeing him grow into a person worthy of holding the Longbottom heirship had been a wonderful experience and they had bonded over their dislike of Snape and their surprisingly mutual love of DADA. While Neville's true calling will ever be Herbology, he could hold his own quite well in DADA and now that he no longer doubted himself, he was decent in the other subjects... except Potions, of course.

Even though he wasn't as close with the other members of the Defense Club, Harry was sure that they considered him a good friend as much as he regarded them in that matter. They all helped each other without complains and made sure to do their best to not disrespect one another. It still happened a few times, but with Harry and Daphne acting as mediators, those issues never lasted more than an hour before they were solved.

They had been joined by Parvati Patil and Ernie MacMillan on their second gathering and Harry was glad that they had done so. Ernie, as a true Hufflepuff, worked hard and showed that he was willing to put the necessary work to keep with everyone else. It had taken Parvati two consecutive weeks of stinging hexes to the bum courtesy of a gleeful Tracey, but she had also begun to do her work, showing that Padma wasn't the only twin with a brain behind their exotic features.

Like Harry had predicted, the subjects he enjoyed the most were Transfiguration, Charms and Defense Against the Dark Arts, the first two because he truly found the arts of changing what an object was and changing what an object does fascinating, and the professors assigned to those classes only made the subjects more interesting. He had developed his interest in DADA due to all the time he put into it and there was also the fact that the studies of Dark creatures and magic and how to counter them was fascinating to him.

Harry still found time to practice his own hidden talents, thankful for the privacy his room offered. He would conjure and vanish many rocks of different sizes and weights, rocks that he would also use to practice with his psychokinesis. He would also teleport across the room until he was panting and sweating. The only thing he couldn't practice in private was his magic push, but that was because he feared he would accidentally destroy his bed and alert the others before he could repair it. Thankfully, the Knockback Jinx, _Repulso_ , was basically the same, meaning that he could practice it during the Defense Club gatherings. It was at least thrice as powerful as Daphne's, who was the strongest magically after him, but they chalked it up to Harry being Harry, much to his relief.

Harry still excelled in his other subjects… except Potions but that was Snape was an immature git that refused to give any Potion Harry brewed more than an acceptable, much to Hermione's annoyance, even when everyone there knew that the potions brewed by Harry and Hermione deserved an Outstanding. In any case, Snape at least never attacked him like he did during the first Potions lessons. He still asked him questions more advanced than what they were supposed to be, but Harry made sure to stay way ahead of their lessons, just to spit.

The honor of the attempted bullying fell on Draco Malfoy and his clique of wannabe dark wizards and witches. They were never successful because Neville, Terry, Ernie and Blaise having his back almost at all times. They were worried about Blaise, seeing that he was alone on whenever he was on his common room, but Blaise had assured them that he had that covered and that Daphne and Tracey had his back.

Pansy Parkinson and Millicent Bulstrode only attempted to bully Hermione with her status as a muggleborn but when faced with the might of Daphne, Tracey, Susan, Hannah, Padma, Parvati, Lisa and Sue Li, he was not surprised that it had been the first and last time it happened. Harry was glad that Hermione had found such good and loyal friends, what with here never having any because of her intelligence.

And finally, his endeavors outside of Hogwarts were going better than he had been expecting. The pubs and stores in Diagon Alley were already generating a profit and his businesses all over Europe were already hiring personnel, meaning that by then end of November and the start of December, they would be up and running, ready to make profit. Harry had high hopes for the distilleries in England, the farms in Scotland, the vineyards in Spain, the many restaurants in France and Italy and the chocolate factories in Switzerland.

The thing he was most interested in, however, was the fixing of Potter Manor in Godric's Hollow and making the small village hospitable again. Many families used to live there but the village was abandoned after the Dark Lord's Death Eaters laid waste to it in retaliation to their master's demise. According to Sharpclaw, the only thing left to repair were the church, the graveyard and Potter Manor and that they would wait until December to put wards around the village tied to him.

Yes, Harry felt that everything had being going smoothly and he had been immensely enjoying his stay at Hogwarts, in spite of his suspicious about the Headmaster, incompetent Professors and attempted bullying, but on the 31st of October something that happened that showed Harry things rarely go completely well whenever he was involved.

 **XXXXXXXXXX**

Harry was in a bit of a foul mood that day. It was the day of Hallowe'en, they day that his parents had been murdered, so no one could fault him when he kept to himself and when his answers were short and to the point. It also didn't help that Professor Flitwick had decided to hold a revision lesson that day, meaning that Harry was denied learning new charms and was forced to perform charms that he had already mastered.

As the day passed with Harry realizing that it was just another day and maybe attending the feast wasn't going to be such a bad idea, Harry noticed Hermione helping Ronald Weasly with the Levitation Charm of all things. There was an exasperated expression on her face but she was still gently guiding through the correct wand motions and incantation. That made Harry smile for a moment, knowing that in the past she would've been more forceful, but thanks to the many times she had to explain DADA topics to others, she had learned what was the correct approach to make sure understood her instructions and explanations.

What had him frowning, however, was the nasty glare Ron would send her whenever she wasn't looking in his direction after she quietly gave up when he refused to listen to her. Harry decided to keep an eye on him. This confirmed Neville's words about him and Harry was glad that he wasn't associating with him.

It was a good thing he did, because the moment they spilled out of the Charms classroom, Ron opened his big mouth.

"Who in the bloody hell does she think she is, mate?! It's _le-vi-O-sa!_ Not _le-vi-o-SAH!_ I swear mate, that girl is mental and she is never going to make any friends with that know-it-all attitude of hers."

Harry saw Hermione's shoulders stiffening and if the glares Lisa, Sue Lie, Padma and Parvati were sending Ronald as they wrapped her in comforting hugs as her shoulders shook slightly were anything to go by she had probably on the verge of crying.

Harry was sure that Hermione knew that Ronald's words were simply not true anymore, her proof being the four girls currently comforting her, but that didn't change the fact that in the past Ronald's words would've run true. Hermione had may good friends now, but it would be naïve to assume that two months of being surrounded by friends she made on her own and that admired her for her intelligence and talent would make her forget years of loneliness because of those same reasons.

Harry immediately stalked towards Ron, a glare on his face and emerald eyes resembling chips of ice. "Who in the bloody hell do YOU think you are you moronic and lazy simpleton?" Harry's furious hiss made everyone stop and stare at him with shock.

Ron paled and stepped back.

Neville, who had been ready to deck Ron across his ugly mug, relaxed and smiled. He was sure that whatever Harry was going to say to Ron would be worse than a simple punch to the face.

Ronald was a bit taller than Harry, but everyone could see that it meant nothing when it was obvious who was the more formidable of the two. Ronald's posture was slouched and his face was almost permanently showing a dumb, sleepy expression. Harry, on the other hand, always stood straight, his gait was graceful and confident and no one could deny the intelligence and strength behind his eyes. Truly it was no contest.

"Hermione offered her help nicely and without anyone asking her and this is how you repay her?"

Somehow, Ron got his wits back. "Oy, Harry, mate, it isn't that big of a deal. She is just a-!"

Harry got in Ron's face, freezing him on the spot. "Chose your words wisely, Weasly, or will be forced to teach you the same lesson I taught Malfoy in the train," hissed Harry again, his words making Ron resemble rancid milk with how pale he had turned. "And I am not your 'mate', Weasly. We have never spoke before and I am extremely glad we hadn't. So, I will kindly ask you to not refer to me with such familiarity, is that understood or should I speak slower so your underdeveloped brain can comprehend what I just said?"

Ron barely nodded.

"Good. Now, listen and listen clearly, Weasly, because I am going to say this only once. I don't want you to speak of Hermione or any other one of my friends like that ever again. Your ignorant, idiotic words are not worth Hermione's tears. As a matter of fact, I don't want you to even speak badly of my friend when not in their presence, because you are not worth even thinking about them in any shape or form. If I ever find out you spoke ill about any of my befriends, you will find that your stay at Hogwarts will be quite… unpleasant."

With his piece said, Harry turned around and walked towards Hermione, who was looking at him gratefully with teary eyes and a big smile on her face. The other girls were looking at him with wonder and approval. Harry smiled and he offered his arm to Hermione, who graciously took him and allowed Harry to take her away.

Terry glared at Ron. "Arse," he said before he followed after them.

Neville shook his head and he frowned when he saw Ron glaring daggers in Harry's direction. That won't do.

"Harry has laid down the law, Ron, and you better stick by it or I will enforce it upon you. I also don't take too kindly to those that speak bad of my friends just to hide the fact that they feel inferior to them."

With his own piece said, Neville walked away, leaving Ron feeling scared on two fronts. The first reason, and the main one, was because he had never seen something as terrifying as an angry Harry Potter and the second reason was because he just knew that his mother and Ginny were going to kill him the moment they found out that he had slighted whom they had wanted as their meal ticket and their key to a future full of wealth and fame.

 **XXXXXXXXXX**

Albus Dumbledore was worried, extremely so. And the reason behind his worries was none other than Harry James Potter.

Not only the boy acted nothing like he expected him to, considering what he had arranged with the Dursley, but his talent for the magical arts and his obvious intelligence far surpassed what he himself and Tom were capable off when they were on their first years. For a moment, Dumbledore entertained the thought that it wouldn't be necessary for Harry to die in order to permanently get rid of Voldemort but the thought went away as soon as it arrived.

The horcrux in Harry's forehead and the prophecy, which Voldemort surely believed and that would make it real, told him that Harry needed to die in order for Voldemort to be defeated. According to the prophecy neither Tom nor Harry would survive while the other lived and the only way to destroy the horcrux in Harry's forehead was to kill him and Voldemort would never pass on as long as a piece of his soul was anchored to this plane.

Harry needed to die. There was no other way.

What Dumbledore feared, however, was Harry not wanting to make the sacrifice for the greater good of others. The amount of confidence he could plainly see in Harry told him that Harry was aware of what he was worth and Harry also had a high number of friends, including the Heirs to the Houses Longbottom, Abbott, Bones, Greengrass and McMillan. There was no way Harry didn't know about his heritage now. Thankfully he could still prevent him from claiming it until later when he felt Harry was ready. He might not truly be the boy's magical guardian, but others believed it, which was enough.

Another thing that worried him was the weekly letter he received through his admittedly beautiful owl. Dumbledore was sure that there wasn't anyone with whim Harry would be able to exchange correspondence. His worries were assured when he had intercepted his owl, which was more difficult than he would've expected, and the moment he touched the parchment it disappeared, meaning that whomever Harry was exchanging letters with was a magical person with enough knowledge to protect a letter with a magical signature detection rune keyed into an emergency portkey.

His worries only grew when he heard about the altercation between him and Ronal Weasly. While pleased that Harry would go to such lengths to protect someone that he considered a friend, which spoke well for his character and the possibility of him being willing to sacrifice himself for the betterment of others, he had to take into consideration the deal he had with Molly Weasly. She was not going to be pleased when she heard about what happened.

And now he had no way to truly confirm the lengths to which Harry was willing to go to make sure his friends ware safe. He had not counted on Miss Granger being held back by her friends while Harry belittled Ronald, to whom he had used a mild compulsion charm to say words that he knew would affect Miss Granger enough that she wouldn't want to assist the feast, which would keep her ignorant of the danger the troll posed. It was his hope that Harry would have run without thinking of his own safety so save Miss Granger.

Dumbledore knew that Voldemort, using Quirrell's body, would use a troll to distract the teachers and students so he could go to the third floor to attempt to steal the Philosopher's Stone. He knew he was getting restless thanks to his relocation of the unicorns that lived in the Forbidden Forest and Hagrid and Firenze and his pack of centaurs protecting them. Severus was already waiting to stop him after the Devil's Snare trap he had Pomona set up.

Dumbledore discreetly pulled out his wand. "It seems like I will have to get creative," he muttered.

 **XXXXXXXXXX**

"I'm going to the bathroom."

Harry and the others nodded at Susan as she almost abruptly stood up and walked out of the Great Hall with quick steps. Harry supposed that she really needed to go, which wouldn't be far-fetched since she had been drinking a lot of pumpkin juice, which apparently, she liked a lot.

Harry and everyone that belonged to the Defense Club, except for the Slytherins who were prohibited by Snape to sit with them during the feast, were sitting together at the end of the Ravenclaw table, near the entrance this time. The only reason Snape had gotten away with the prohibition was due to the entire house backing him, otherwise Daphne, Tracey and Blaise would have sat with them.

Snape's rule about Slytherin presenting a united front against the other houses and solving all of their issues within the Slytherin Common Room was moronic at best. A True Slytherin would mingle and get close to as many people as he could in order to have allies that would support they when they needed it. This was only further proof of Snape's immaturity and bias against other Houses just because of what happened in the past.

This also proved that Daphne, Tracey and Blaise were the only true Slytherins within the first years. Harry was sure that none of them had insidious, ulterior motives behind befriending and getting close Harry and their other friends, but Harry was sure that they weren't doing for no reason. The three of them had benefited a lot with their inclusion to the Defense Club and they knew that everyone would have everyone's back when the moment called for it. Harry knew there was more but he was sure those two were the main reasons.

As he looked around, Harry was pleased to see that their year wasn't the only one that was mingling with other houses. Though in less quantity, the second, third and fourth years were sitting a mixed fashion over the tables of the Hufflepuff, Gryffindor and Ravenclaw houses. Harry knew the reason why Slytherins weren't mingling and the reason why the older years weren't doing so was because they were likely just used to how things went. Harry hoped that it will soon change and for what he could see, it was working. Now if Snape stopped being the Head of House Slytherin…

Harry shook his head and frowned with some annoyance as he saw a few people whispering before pointing at him and then pointing at Ron, who was sulking as he stuffed his face with mashed potatoes and pork. The Hogwarts Rumor Mill was strong, it seemed. Harry had also noticed the pointed looks Prefect Percy Weasly and George and Fred Weasly had sent him. He doubted they were going to retaliated against him, since everyone knew that Harry had defended Hermione after Ron said hurtful thing about her after she tried to help him, but he was sure that he was going to be having words with them in the near future.

Suddenly, the doors the Great Hall barged open, rendering conversations silent, and a frantic Quirinus Quirrell ran into the middle of the hall.

"There's a troll in the hallways! A troll in the hallways!" He paused. "I thought you'd like to know." And he passed out.

Harry only had time to wonder why would a man that faced a vampire not too long ago would faint in the presence of a troll, who had nothing on those nasty blood-sucking undead monsters and also realize that said fainting was so obviously fake that it all had to be an act. He had seen Petunia faint many times enough to know when someone truly fainted.

That was when he recalled that Susan had gone to the bathroom a few minutes ago and there was no way she would know the danger in which she found herself in. Harry ignored how everyone began to scream their lungs off as he shot to his feet and ran out of the Great Hall. He heard many voices calling for him but he ignored them. One of his best friends was in danger and there was no way in hell he was going to let her be harmed if he could do something about it.

Harry knew that the closes bathroom to the Great Hall was ten minutes away if one walked but Harry had other means of transportation. As long as Harry knew where he was teleporting he could do so without issues, meaning that if he could see his destination he could seamlessly teleport himself. Harry used this to move from one end of a hallway to the other end, cutting the cutting the normally ten minutes trip into a two minute one.

It was a good thing he did so, for when he turned around the corner of the hallway that had the bathrooms is what to see Susan staring up at the fifteen feet mountain troll as it had its wooden club raised above its ugly head ready to bring it down and kill her. Harry was not above to let that happen.

He quickly teleported next to Susan, wrapped his arms around her securely and teleported back to where he had been. He heard the troll roaring behind him as it brought its club down onto the previously occupied space, breaking the stone floor only to realize that it had not gotten its victim. Now that Susan was relatively safe, he could focus on how to deal with the monster.

"Ha-Harry? What are you-"

"We don't have time for that, Susie," said Harry as he flicked his wrist and his ebony wand shot into his hand. He looked back at her and smiled. The troll was at least forty feet away and it was looking around with confusion. "I need you to get away and tell the teachers where the troll is. I'll keep it here so it doesn't wander off to another part of the castle."

Susan immediately looked defiant. "I'm not about to let you face that thing alone, Harry! We have been practicing in Defense Club for things like this."

"Do you have your wand?"

Susan flinched.

The troll roared as it finally noticed them and began to throttle towards them slowly.

"Go get the professors now, Susan! I promise you that I will be fine!"

Susan glared at him before she grabbed his free hand and squeezed it hard. "If you die I'll kill you myself, do you hear me, Potter?"

"You are spending too much time with Daphne."

"Prat."

Susan began to make the way back to Great Hall as fast as she could. Harry turned towards the incoming troll and took a deep breath when he saw that it was already twenty feet away from him. He was going to have to play this smart of he wanted to survive. Without any warning, Harry's wand snapped towards the troll, pointing at its ugly, dumb face. _"Incendio!"_

Harry's normal fire making spell was more powerful than was expected of even fourth and fifth years because of the strength of his magical core, which made the spell stronger on its own unless Harry deliberately fueled less magic when he performed it. Here, Harry did exactly the contrary. He out as much magic as he could into the spell and only made sure to make it accurate. The result was a ball of red hot fire bigger than troll's head screaming towards it at fast speeds.

A mountain troll's hide was decently resistant to magic, meaning that the troll was protected somewhat against the magically produced fire, but it could do nothing against the heat of the flames and the force of the impact. Naturally the troll screamed in pain the moment the ball of fire connected with its head, snapping it back and setting it on fire for a few seconds until the troll's magical resistant hide snuffed it out.

That was enough time for Harry who teleported away and appeared behind the troll and fired two more Incendio, these ones aimed at the rags the troll used to cover up its modesty for some reason. Those were set on fire easily since clothes tended to be quite flammable and the troll roared in even more pain as the fire around its head disappeared. It turned around and glared at Harry with bloodshot eyes full of hate and pain. Its face was blistering due to the extreme heat and it looked uglier than before if that was possible.

Harry had been standing fifteen away from the troll and in its rage, it showed that it could move faster than just a slow throttle, so Harry was caught off guard when in a few seconds the troll was upon him, club raised behind it to smash him into paste. Having no time to gather enough concentration to teleport, Harry was forced to jump out of the way but he was not fast enough to avoid injury.

The club clipped him and the arm not holding his wand was broken.

"SHITE!" He screamed in pain as he crawled away from the troll, who had overextended its swing and was attempting to correct itself through the pain its flaming rags it called clothes were causing it. Harry thought that he was used to pain, but having your arm broken by a mountain troll had nothing on Vernon's swat over the head or the beatdowns Dudley and his cronies inflicted him the few times they managed to catch him.

Still, Harry was used enough to pain that he could still think somewhat clearly through it and he knew that the worst thing he could do was give the troll his back so he turned around until he was sitting, facing the troll, his left arm bent at and awkward angle and hanging limply at his side. It was pulsing with so much pain that tears slowly began to leak out of the corner of Harry's eyes.

The troll managed to correct itself and it turned around, roaring with pain and hate as it saw Harry sitting there on the floor, apparently defenseless. It began to run towards Harry to kill the one that had harmed it, assured of its victory over its enemy. The truth was that Harry was farm from defenseless.

Harry flicked his wand towards the troll when it was five feet away. " _Repulso!"_

Harry's knockback jinx, powered by his own magical push capable of flipping cars that weighted more than five hundred kilograms, smacked into the running troll with the forced of a freight train, sending it flying back more than a dozen yards and making it lose its club, which fell next to Harry with a series of dull thuds. Angry and in pain, the only thing Harry could think about was getting retaliation against the reason behind what he was feeling so he grabbed a hold of the troll's club with psychokinesis.

The troll, angrier and in even more pain, shot to its feet faster than what its size, weight and previous clumsiness would have suggested. It saw its weapon floating in front of his now hated enemy and roared as it charged, flames trailing behind it from its burning vest and loincloth.

Harry roared right back at it and pointed his wand at the club, which became slightly thinner, but longer, its surface smoother and the portion facing the incoming troll having an extremely sharp, pointed end. With a snarl, Harry used the full might of his psychokinesis to send the transformed club towards the troll, aimed at its chest. He used a more focused Repulse, but with no less strength, to give it even more strength.

There was a brown blur and suddenly the troll had a perfectly circular hole on its chest. Through it, Harry could see the transformed club burning as it was imbedded into the ceiling at an angle before it was covered by the flames of the vest after they realized that there was oxygen to burn where the makeshift spear Harry made out of the troll's club had passed through.

The troll didn't even realize it was dead. It continued charging for a second before it simply fell to the floor, the hallway shaking slightly and its momentum carried it until its head was a few inches away from hitting the sole of Harry's shoes.

"Merlin!"

Harry panted as adrenaline slowly left his system and he flicked his wrist to send his wand back into its holster. Using his uninjured arm, Harry pushed helped himself to his feet with a grunt and he turned around slowly to see a wide-eyed Dumbledore and Snape leading the horrified looking Minerva and Flitwick, their eyes looking from the burning, dead troll, towards the piece of burning wood shoved into the ceiling and Harry and his broken arm.

"You are late," Harry felt the need to point out as evenly as the pain he was feeling allowed him to. He then pointed at his broken arm. "Can anyone take me to the healing ward? I believe that's proper procedure when a student gets injured, am I right?"

For some reason, Harry felt amused when he saw that Professor Flitwick's fainting looked just like Petunia's.

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

The response this piece of fiction is getting never fails to blow my mind away. Some of you have complained about my spelling and misusage of words, but I'd like to point out that English isn't my first language and I'm doing this mostly to improve that. I would love to get a beta but I feel that I would be doing a better job on getting more proficient if I can catch the mistakes myself. You are all free to point them out to me in the reviews or by PM, however. I would appreciate that a lot.

Poor Draco is never going to learn, is he? In any case, Daphne, Tracey and Blaise are now firmly allied with Harry. That is going to bring its own set of repercussions for everyone, some of them bad some of them good, but I am sure that Harry won't mind either way.

The only thing I have against Hagrid is his blind fanaticism towards Dumbledore. I will attempt to make him see the light, because his just a gentle soul that's being used but I can't promise anyone anything since the story tends to develop itself. I have to ask, though, if you won't mind if I wrote Hagrid's speech as if he spoke without an accent? I find it to be kind of annoying and time consuming, which you probably noticed as the scene continued.

Minerva is slowly realizing that Albus Dumbledore is not what he seems to be and that can only mean good things, right?

Subtle time-skips are not my specialty, I believe. And yes, the Defense Club. It makes sense. Also, I didn't come up with the name. I believe the first one to use it was the fantastic author Sillimaure in his story 'Heart and Soul'. If somehow you haven't read it yet, you should go and do that. It's a masterpiece.

If you are a fan of Ron, or Molly and Ginny, this story is not for you as they will not be painted in the best of lights. This will be my only warning on that matter.

You will find that I have a love for epic fight scenes. Noticed how the fight was won with Harry using the trolls club against it just like in canon?

That's all from me. I'm afraid that I won't be able to cover first and second years with just barely above 100k words. I think I will be approaching 150k words by the times those years are finished. Oh well, please bear with me. Also, updates will happen weekly on Mondays afternoon/evening.

Are you cabinets locked? For the sake of your muffins, I hope so.


	5. Perks of Killing a Troll

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Harry Potter. It belongs to J. K. Rowling, Warner Bros and Bloomsbury. I only own the original plot ideas and concepts that I implement in this piece of fiction to make it a bit more original and entertaining. Make sure to read the A/N at the end of every chapter to catch any news about the story. Enjoy!

A few pointers before we start the chapter.

 **AU:** Magical cores are a thing. Not everyone has the same magical potential. Wizards and witches can tap into the ambient magic for the most powerful rituals and spells, but it is extremely difficult and very few can do it.

 **AU:** There are ancient and noble houses. The Sacred Twenty-Eight are such houses. House Malfoy is not one of the Sacred Twenty-Eight since they are originally from France, and the Sacred Twenty-Eight refer to the founding _British_ families of Magical Britain. The Potters, however, are a member of the Sacred Twenty-Eight, since their ancestry can be traced back to the Peverell Family, who were one of the many that led the foundation of Magical Britain.

 **AU:** Britain's Wizard/Witches Population is slightly over than 20,000, instead of just a few thousand.

 **AU:** Godric's Hollow belonged solely to the House of Potter and its where their main manor was located. It was abandoned after Death Eaters mostly destroyed it.

I believe that's all for now. If you are not put off by the summary nor by what I established above this final message, then I truly hope you enjoy the story.

* * *

 **Perks of Killing a Troll**

* * *

Harry watched with sick fascination as Madame Pomfrey fixed his arm with many intricate waves of her wand after she had him drink a Pain Numbing Potion. He grimaced when he saw his arm twisting back into place and he heard the bones crack as they were repaired. Thankfully there was no pain otherwise a grimace would have been tame compared to what his facial expression would have been.

He smiled at the medi-witch, idly moving his previously broken arm around and wiggling his fingers. "Thank you, Madame Pomfrey."

She nodded and sniffed as she looked at him severely. "You are most welcome, Mister Potter. I believe, however, that the best show of gratitude from your part would be to not have a repeat of this. A first year having his arm broken by a troll! Never in all my years have I seen something as outrageous as this. One would think you were a Gryffindor with how you acted."

Harry frowned. "I prevented the death of my friend. I admit that I could've just escaped with her after I got her but the troll would've disappeared to another part of the castle where the Professors wouldn't have been able to find it and restrain it before it actually killed someone. I decided to keep it entertained until the professor's arrived. Not my brightest moment, I admit."

Poppy's eyes softened and she smiled at him softly. "One cannot fault you for putting your life at risk for the sake of your friend, but do try to think things through more thoroughly in the future, Mister Potter. You have a bright future ahead of your and it would be sad to see you dead before you can live up to it."

Harry's expression softened, knowing that she was being truthful and earnest with her concern, and he nodded at her. She then walked away, leaving Harry with the other occupants in the room. He turned towards the only other person on a bed apart from him, an amused smile on his face.

"Didn't think you were one for fainting, Professor Flitwick."

Filius, with enchanted fans floating and fluttering around him providing him fresh air, gave Harry a dry and pointed look. "You try seeing one of your first-year students with a broken arm, a dead troll with a hole on its chest behind them and a wooden, burning spear impaled into the ceiling and not passing out. I am one hundred and two years old, Mister Potter! My heart cannot bear with the same things it did in my youth."

Harry looked at him with raised eyebrows. "You are one hundred and two years old?"

Filius nodded, a smug little smile on his face. "Indeed I am. You'll find that being part goblin has its benefits, Mister Potter."

Before Harry could answer, Dumbledore cleared his throat and he looked at them all with twinkling eyes and an amused smile. "As much as I would like to feel envy over Filius' superior aging, I think we all would like to know what happened in a more detailed manner."

Minerva nodded her head sharply.

Harry shrugged his shoulders. "There's not much to it, Headmaster. After I got Susan out of the way and told her to tell you were the troll was, I decided to stay for the reasons you already heard me say to Madame Pomfrey. I used an _Incendio_ on its face and clothes, which angered it. I tried to evade it when it swung at me but it managed to clip me in the arm and break it. I was angry and in pain so I used an overpowered _Repulso_ to keep it away from me. It lost its club in the process and I transfigured it into a wooden lance which I aimed towards it using the levitation charm and when it charged at me I sent the transfigured club towards it using another overpowered _Repulso._ You arrived after it died."

Dumbledore, Minerva, Filius and Snape stared at him, incredulous looks on their faces.

Harry looked back at them weirdly. "What?"

Minerva was the one who responded, her voice a bit shrill and trembling slightly. "You have to understand, Mister Potter, that what you just claimed to have done has been unheard of. A troll is a XXXX category beast and you killed one using _first-year level spells!"_

While Minerva had no doubt that Harry used his other, more secretive and impressive skills to fight and survive the fight with the troll, that didn't change the fact that he was still an eleven-year-old boy with no skills and experience on fighting magical beasts.

Harry blinked. "Oh." Then he smiled. "Wicked."

Minerva shook her head in exasperation while Filius chuckled.

Dumbledore cleared his throat again. "It was most impressive, yes, but I believe that Mister Potter should be punished for acting recklessly and putting himself in danger. Fifty points from Ravenclaw," he said severely and when protests were about to come he smiled. "But I will award one hundred and fifty points to Ravenclaw due to Mister Potter's act of bravery and showing that he is willing to put the safety of his cherished ones before his own. I find that trait admirable, to be honest."

Filius sighed in relief while Minerva glared at Dumbledore. The transfiguration teacher exchanged significant glances with Harry before she huffed and walked out of the room after wishing Harry a safe recovery and reminding him to not be late for class. Dumbledore and Snape left soon after that.

Harry turned towards Filius, a serious expression on his face. "Professor, about that talk about dueling that you promised on the first day…"

With a pensive expression on his face, Filius nodded his head. "Yes, I now see the necessity of students being able to defend themselves. Knowing spells and having the correct instincts to use them in a fight are quite different things. Sadly, my schedule is full for the rest of the term but I believe I can arrange something in order to teach basic dueling to the younger students next year."

Harry seemed interested. "You mean like a dueling club?"

Filius again nodded his head. "Exactly, something of the sorts."

Slowly, Harry began to smile wide. "I believe I have a few ideas to run by you regarding that possibility, Professor."

"Oh? Do tell."

When Madame Pomfrey when to check on both later in the evening, she found both Harry and Filius laughing with gleeful expressions on their faces. The medi-witch shivered and she had to shake off the sudden desire to put the two of them in an indefinite magical coma. For some reason, she felt that her work will becoming harder in the near future.

 **XXXXXXXXXX**

Dumbledore peered at Snape from above his glasses. "Did Tom try to steal the Philospher's Stone, Severus?"

Snape nodded sharply. "He did. I managed to convince the Dark Lord that I was still on his side and that I will act as a double agent for him against you." He then moved his robes aside and showed a deep cut on his shin, which was bleeding. "To show him that I was truthful I allowed him to give me this cut so as to make you believe we fought, which would've earned me your trust and showed him Hagrid's Cerberus and told him about the traps to secure his trust."

"Excellent!" Exclaimed Dumbledore. "Now we just have to keep an eye on him and make sure that Harry finds out about the stone so the both of them can confront each other so he can be disembodied again to set back his plans of coming back for a few years at the least. Today I have confirmed that Harry would emerge victorious, which should make Tom believe the veracity of the prophecy if he doesn't already."

"Sir?"

"Yes, Severus?"

"Was it wise to use the Bones girl? The Head of the DMLE will surely charge into the castle seeking blood and retribution for the danger her niece was put in."

Dumbledore smiled in a placating manner. "There isn't going to be an issue, Severus. I trust Tom's competency to make it look as if the troll truly wandered into the castle by accident. We do have to make sure that our involvement isn't found out, I'm afraid. Thankfully, only the families belonging to the Sacred Twenty-Eight have Heir Rings powerful enough to fend off mental magics from me. I will make sure that no Auror finds the third-floor corridor and I think it would be wise for you to harvest the carcass of the troll for potion ingredients."

Snape nodded. "It will be done, Headmaster." He paused for a second before he spoke. "The boy, if he is to be believed, managed to kill a troll only using first-years spells, Headmaster. I abhor to admit it but that is something I don't think even the Dark Lord would have been capable of doing at that age."

"What are you saying, Severus?"

"Does the boy really need to die in order to be rid of the Dark Lord? He has showed a great talent for the magical arts and apparently, he has a natural inclination for battling, which is not surprising considering the wand that chose him. Wouldn't it be easier and less risky for us to simply prepare him for a confrontation with the Dark Lord in the future?"

Dumbledore raised an eyebrow. "Are you perhaps having second thoughts about the boy, Severus?"

Snape snorted. "I couldn't care less about James Potter's spawn, Headmaster. But I would take any chance to not risk my own life more than I should to see the Dark Lord dead."

Dumbledore nodded. "I see. Sadly, things aren't as simple as that. The boy is an horcrux for Tom's soul, Severus. In order for Tom to pass on, all of his soul anchors must be destroyed. I intend to use Harry to find them and destroy them and then have him sacrifice himself against Tom, which would make Tom able to pass on. When the boy dies, ridding Tom of his final Horcrux, we should be able to easily defeat Tom between the two of us and you will get your chance for revenge."

Snape pondered for a second before slowly nodding his head. "I understand, Headmaster. It will be done as you say."

Dumbledore smiled. "Good."

 **XXXXXXXXXX**

The next day when Harry woke up, Professor Filius was not on his bed, probably because the reason he had been there on the first place was due to the unexpected fainting. Harry had stayed in the infirmary during the night because Madame Pomfrey wanted to constantly check on him through the night make sure that he made a satisfactory recovery.

Thankfully, on one of the beds there was a change of clothes, his toothbrush and his mokeskin pouch. He used that bathroom in the infirmary after Madame Pomfrey confirmed that he was back to one hundred percent and she allowed him to attend classes normally. Harry was glad. He didn't want to miss any classes and he was sure that his friends were worried enough as it was.

So, it was no surprise for him when after taking two steps into the Great Hall he was almost rugby tackled by a brown and a red missile, who latched onto him. He smiled down at Susan and Hermione who were sobbing as they buried their faces into his chest.

Harry simply hugged them back to tell them that he was fine. He then looked up and noticed with some amusement that Daphne was standing closer to him than she has ever been and she was also intently looking him over, her cool eyes betraying the worry and relief she was feeling.

And not a second later Harry was surrounded by his closest friends and the members of the Defense Club. Neville and Terry clapped him on the back and Blaise and Ernie nodded at him. Tracey gave him a thumb up and the other girls were trying and failing not to cry, looking at him with relieved smiles.

Harry then noticed that everyone in the hall was whispering, pointing and looking at him with awed eyes. That most likely meant that what he did to the troll was a known fact to the school. He would have preferred if it stayed quiet but everyone knowing that he was capable of killing a troll at his age had his advantages, like for example, the pale faced heirs of the Dark families as they looked at him with horror could only mean that they were going to leave him and his friends alone from now on.

"You gave us quite the scare, Potter."

Harry turned towards Daphne, a placating smile on his face as Susan and Hermione ended the hug and stepped back to flank the black haired Slytherin. Harry noticed with some trepidation that Hermione and Susan could match Daphne in a competition about who could pull off the frostier expression.

Yeah, they were pissed at him.

"Harry James Potter. What in the bloody hell were you thinking, facing a mountain troll head on, huh?"

Hearing Hermione curse didn't make Harry feel any less nervous. Quite the contrary, actually. Harry chuckled sheepishly. "Um, that I needed to keep it in the place I told Susan to tell the professors it was so it didn't wander off and actually harmed a student before it could be stopped?"

Susan narrowed her eyes. "Don't think for a second that a sound argument is going to make us less mad at you, Potter."

Harry chuckled nervously as Hermione nodded sharply in agreement while Daphne merely continued to glare at him.

Terry snickered. "Mate, he can face and kill a troll with no problem but he is almost losing his shite when facing three eleven-year-old witches."

Ernie grinned widely. "A smart bloke with a keen survival instinct, this one."

Blaise smirked as he crossed his arms while Neville chuckled.

Harry was glad that the other girls took the opportunity to hug him and make sure that he was safe, which served him as a distraction to not face the wrath of his closest female friends, who looked ready to do what the troll couldn't. When Padma and Parvati finished squeezing him between them and had him promise to not do something so reckless and stupid, he voiced the question that had been nagging him for a while.

"So, how did everyone find about what I did?"

Blaise was the one who answered. "Bones told everyone last night that you stayed behind to hold the troll in place while the professor's arrived. Then a few Slytherins saw Professor Snape floating your handiwork towards the dungeons. An overcooked troll with a hole on its chest the size of a quaffle is hard to miss after all. Professor Flitwick has been telling everyone that it was you who killed it."

"Oh." Harry shook his head, filling the commentary about Snape floating the troll towards the dungeons for later, and rubbed his forehead. "I bet this is going to make the Prophet either tomorrow or the day after."

Tracey smirked. "That's a loser's bet if I ever saw one."

Before anything else could be said, the doors of the Great Hall were opened with a bang and three people barged in. Harry only recognized the one being flanked by what appeared to be aurors. She had red hair that matched Susan's with a few streaks of gray here and there. She also had some wrinkles on her face and there was a monocle on her left eye. A thunderous expression was on her face and she looked ready to dismember someone.

Harry was impressed. He liked Amelia Bones already. Truthfully, Susan had already painted Amelia Bones in an almost divine light, but Harry knew that Susan was more than just slightly biased. But seeing the Head of the DMLE right now made Harry think that maybe Susan wasn't exaggerating when she spoke of her aunt.

"Aunt Amy!"

That was what Susan squealed with glee before she turned herself into a red human missile that wrapped its arm around the waist of Amelia, her anger seemingly forgotten. The thunderous expression left Amelia's face immediately and she looked down at her niece, who was beaming up at her. "Good morning, Susie. I came here as soon as I got your message."

Susan nodded, gave her aunt one last squeeze and stepped aside.

Amelia's eyes narrowed and she locked eyes with Dumbledore, who was sitting on his chair calmly observing her. "If Headmaster Dumbledore and Mister Harry Potter would kindly come here? I have a few items to discuss with the both of them."

Harry immediately approached her after reassuring his friends that he was not in trouble and he inclined his head at her with respect. "Good morning, Madame Bones. It is a pleasure to meet you. Susan only has good things to say about you."

Susan blushed.

Amelia's expression softened again. "The pleasure is all mine, Mister Potter. You are almost everything Susan writes about in her letters and considering what happened last night, I cannot fault her."

Susan resembled a tomato now. No one would be surprised if steam begun to pour out of her ears "Auntie!"

Harry chuckled. "Susan is a dear friend of mine. I am sure she would have done the same if it was me who had been in danger."

Amelia hmmed noncommittally. "While I am glad Susan has such a strong friendship with you, I can't say I am pleased about the prospect of her risking her life under any circumstances." Her eyes narrowed as Dumbledore finally approached them. "As a matter of fact, children shouldn't be risking their lives at all, especially in the supposedly safest place in Britain, or am I wrong, Headmaster?"

Dumbledore smiled in a placating manner. "Is good to see you too, Madame Bones. Perhaps, if we could adjourn to a more private setting?"

Amelia narrowed her eyes before she nodded. "That won't be a problem, Headmaster. I trust the classrooms closest to the Great Hall are still empty, yes?" A nod was her answer. "Excellent. Susan, Mister Potter. If you would accompany us? I'd like to hear from your own mouth what happened."

Harry and Susan nodded and the followed the adults out of the hall. In less than two minutes they found themselves sitting, facing Amelia who was sitting behind the teacher's desk with the two aurors, who had still stayed silent, flanking her. Dumbledore was standing next to them, having refused to take a seat.

"Susan?"

She nodded. "There was nothing complicated leading up to me almost being killed by a troll, Aunt Amy. I had to go to the bathroom because I have been drinking a lot of pumpkin juice. I saw Professor Quirrell running towards the Great Hall but I don't think he saw me otherwise I'm sure he would've told me about the troll. When I was about to reach the bathroom, the troll appeared and I froze. Harry saved me somehow before he sent me away to get the professors and tell them where the troll was while he would stay and keep him there. I ran back in direction of the hall and ran into Headmaster Dumbledore and Professors McGonagall, Flitwick and Snape. I told them where the troll was and that Harry was facing it. Then Headmaster Dumbledore told me to head back to Great Hall, where everyone else was waiting."

Amelia nodded at her and then she turned towards Harry, her eyes questioning him.

"When Professor Quirrell barged into the room and told us about the troll, I recalled that Susan couldn't possibly know about it and that there was chance she might run into it. I knew she was going to the closest bathroom so I ran there and arrived just in time to see the troll lumbering towards her with its club raised. I managed to pull her away before she was smashed into paste. Since she didn't have her wand with her I told her to get the professors and that I would keep the troll there to prevent it from going away. Not my best idea, truly. I managed to damage the troll by setting its head and clothes on fire. It got angry and swung at me faster than I could react on time so my arm was broken. I was in pain and angry so I might have overpowered the transfiguration spelland the _Repulso_ and _Incendio_ spells. The end result was a charred troll with a hole on its chest."

Amelia gaped at him with wide eyes and the aurors flanking her weren't faring any better. They exchanged looks before they managed to compose themselves. The aurors shook their heads in disbelief. They knew about Harry Potter, who didn't after all, but to think he would be able to kill a mountain troll with just first year spells. That was unheard off until now.

Amelia coughed into her fist. "I… I see. It seems that nothing could've been done about that. Thank you again, Mister Potter, for saving my niece's life. I am in your debt." There was a slow breeze as she said that. She turned towards Dumbledore, fire in her eyes. "Now, I would like to know how a mountain troll managed to get inside Hogwarts while you were here under the wards, Headmaster?"

Dumbledore opened his palms. "I had Severus Snape investigate and apparently, the troll wandered into the castle trough one of the lower tunnels that face the Forbidden Forest. Since trolls are barely sentient and their aggressiveness is born of instincts, the intent based wards didn't stop it from coming in. It was a mistake I will rectify immediately, Madame Bones. You have my word."

Amelia held Dumbledore's gaze for a few seconds before she nodded. "See to it. I don't want to hear about any students being in danger again or you will be facing the consequences, Headmaster. What happened to the troll's body?"

"Severus is harvesting it for his potions class."

Harry whirled around and gave Dumbledore a frown. "Then that means I shall be expecting payment equal to the prize the ingredients a mountain troll's body would be fetched in the market, since you went ahead and started harvesting it without my permission, Headmaster."

Dumbledore frowned. "Harry…"

Harry turned towards Amelia, who was now smiling in amusement. "Wizarding Law states that if a wizard or a sentient being kills a creature then the body of that creature belongs to the wizard or sentient being that kills the creature. I am sure the Headmaster was going to notify me of his actions and give me my rightful payment for the carcass of the troll but I would like to make sure."

Amelia schooled her features and replied smoothly. "You are correct, Mister Potter."

Harry nodded and turned towards a still frowning Dumbledore. "There isn't any rush to get me my payment but I would like if it could be done at least a week before Christmas. That money would help me buy some gifts for my friends you see. Can I trust you with that, Headmaster? As someone worthy of having the Chief Warlock position in the Wizengamot I know you are someone that adheres strictly to the laws of Magical Britain."

Dumbledore frowned at Harry for a few seconds before his expression became even. "Of course, Mister Potter. I will make sure you receive your earnings in its due time." In his mind, Dumbledore was cursing. Every day that passed was another day that he realized that Harry Potter was going to be difficult to manipulate. If Dumbledore was honest, it was starting to get annoying and his temper was being affected. He was glad for his mastery of Occlumency.

Harry smiled up at Dumbledore innocently and inclined his head. "Thank you, Headmaster."

"You are very much welcome, Mister Potter."

Harry then perked up. "Oh, before I forget. Classes must have already started and I would hate to lose house points for being late because of I was meeting with the DMLE discussing what happened last night. Perhaps if we can get I written excuse…"

For a moment, Dumbledore entertained the thought of not giving Harry the written excuse but he quickly realized that not doing so would just increase the gap between him and Harry and he didn't have the luxury of that happening. Instead, his frown turned into a smile as he nodded. "Of course."

Harry beamed at Dumbledore. "Thank you again, Headmaster. You are very considerate."

Dumbledore's beard hid how strained his smile now was. This boy was dangerous, of that there was no doubt. Harry didn't know it but at that moment Dumbledore stopped thinking of him as the most important piece of the chessboard that was Magical Britain, rather, he became a possible threat to what he was hoping to build using the remnant of Voldemort's first rise to power and the future second attempt of that same thing.

 **XXXXXXXXXX**

Harry met George and Fred Weasly, or was it Gred and Forge, a few days after the meeting with Madame Bones. It had been an interesting and amusing experience to say the least. The members of the Defense Club had been sitting in the Great Hall one Friday morning before their flying practices, working on their essays and assigned projects, when the two identical twins approached them.

"Ah, what do we have here, Gred?"

"I believe we have found the First Year Revolutionaries, Forge."

Daphne gave them a flat expression while the others blinked in confusion.

"What?"

Gred smiled widely. "You might have not noticed, my cute little first years, but your refusal to follow the non-written rules of House-House-House-House interaction has been making waves."

Forge smirked and nodded. "And we, The Incorrigibles Weasly Twins, approve wholeheartedly. Now I can poke fun at Diggory and Davies during our meal times too. The world is a wonderful place now."

While the others exchanged unsure glances, except Daphne who had gone back to her work as if nothing strange was happening practicaly next to her, Harry nodded at them. "Then you are very much welcome, Gred and Forge. Is there anything else I can help you with?"

"So polite!"

"Mum would want to smother it out of him."

"Our Ginny will be most pleased."

"Though Ronnikins might find himself at the end of one of her Bat-Bogey Hexes because of what he pulled with her dear Boy-Who-Lived and his friend."

"She doesn't own a wand yet, Gred."

"That has never stopped her from stealing Dad's wand and using it to hex you with the spell you taught her because you thought it would be funny."

"It is funny! At least, when WE aren't the target."

"Truer words have never been spoken before, Forge."

"Ah," said Harry, interrupting the amusing back and forth before it could escalate further. "I take then that this is about what happened with your younger brother Ronald, am I right?"

The twins sobered up somewhat and Forge nodded. "It is, Lord Trollslayer. Ron is a git, no one can deny that. But not everyone in our family is like that. Gred and I are dashing blokes, yes, but we aren't plonkers."

"Percy is also a git, but he is a harmless one. Charlie and Bill are wicked, one is a dragon tamer in Rumania and the other is a curse breaker for Gringotts, going all over the place working for the nasty lot of them. Dad is an alright bloke, though slightly bonkers when you mention anything muggle near him. Mum… mum… er, a little help Forge?"

Forge shuddered slightly. "Mum is… nice. Hell of a cook, too. But she tends to be very meddlesome. She is the reason why Charlie and Bill went working out of the country, you see."

Gred continued. "And our Ginny is cute. Very smart and sharp too. Has a… fiery tempter, I'm afraid."

"What we are trying to say, Lord Trollslayer, is that we don't want for you to paint the entire Weasly family in the same light you have obviously painted our Ronnikins. We have already pranked him as punishment though I believe that the tongue lashing you gave him was enough if the stories are to be believed."

"They were probably watered down, if anything," chimed in Tracey, who had not been there, but had been told exactly and truthfully what had happened between Harry, Hermione and Ron.

Forge shrugged. "Hope it makes Ronnikins build his character, otherwise he will be alone for the rest of his life. I doubt you will ever want to be friends with Ron, I know I wouldn't if something like that happened between me and a git, but I would like if you could give any Weasley that tried to befriend you a fair opportunity to do so."

Harry peered at them for a moment with an even expression on his face before nodding and his lips curling up. "It was never my intention to make you believe that I hold the entire Weasly Family in the same light as I hold Ronald. As long as their intentions are honest, I am more than willing to accept anyone as my friend."

Forge and Gred grinned before they bowed dramatically. "Your words are kind, Lord Trollslayer. We wish you good fortune in the battles to come." With them saying that at the same time, they for some reason interlocked arms and wandered off giving little jumps and smashing the opposing heels of their shoes against the other.

"What an interesting duo," commented Harry, nonchalantly turning back to work on his charm project.

"They are…unique?" Wondered Susan.

"I'm glad they are not like his brother," muttered Hermione.

"Completely barmy, that's what they are," said Neville, but his voice was amused.

"I like them," said Tracey, grinning.

Blaise rolled his eyes. "Of course you would."

 **XXXXXXXXXX**

October came and went, as did November without any other major incidents. December was already under way and Harry decided that his killing of the troll was a good thing, no matter how annoying the excess of attention was. Not only Malfoy and his clique stopped trying to torment him and his friends, but it had also earned him that Augusta Longbottom and Jacob Abbott had no further doubts about him and it also earned him the respect of the Goblin Nation as a fellow warrior.

Sharpclaw sent him a letter, calling him Harry Trollslayer and that he was looking forward to crossing blades with him. Apparently, the fact that he had killed the troll using magic, and not a sword, was irrelevant. Harry had been surprised to find out that he was the youngest wizard to have ever killed a troll in recorded history.

Harry suspected that the Weasly Twins had something to do with him now being called Trollslayer, since they were the firsts he heard calling him that even before Sharpclaw and Dily Prophet called him that. In any case, the fame of the Boy-Who-Lived had increased by a fair amount and Harry couldn't really complain, since it played favorably with his plans in the long term.

On a side note, Gilderoy Lockhart had tried to take some credit by claiming that it had been him who taught Harry the skills necessary to kill a troll. Harry, who was already annoyed by the man claiming that he raised him and had countless adventures with him, all of which happened in the span of a few weeks -yes, even Harry growing up from one year of age to ten years of age-, decided to finally sue him publicly.

The result was his Heir Vault acquiring one hundred thousand galleons, a public apology from a suddenly mistrusted and hated Gilderoy Lockhart and a lot of witches, and some wizards, reported to have almost drowned on their tears of despair.

On similarly cheerful and satisfying note, Harry and his friends, which included those who belonged to the Defense Club, had advanced a lot in their practice of magic and if one where to pay attention to reports, it would be noticed that those belonging to the Defense Club had better grades than other first years. Harry, Hermione, Daphne, Susan and Blaise were leading when grades were concerning, though Blaise had a one-sided rivalry with Padma and Tracey, which he still refuses to acknowledge.

They have all grown even closer with each other, their squabbles and fights steadily becoming less in quantity and less in seriousness, though Harry suspected it was because of the new-found scariness that had surged in Susan and Hermione, who along with Daphne, were the ones to keep order within the Defense Club. Harry very much suspected that those three were meeting in secret to practice staring-disapprovingly-into-submission.

The only thing of interest that happened was a few days before he left Hogwarts to spend the holidays with Neville and Augusta when Dumbledore had unexpectedly questioned him about his plans for the monthlong break.

 **XXXXXXXXXX**

"Ah, Mister Potter, a minute of your time, please?"

His friends gave him worried looks. Harry smiled reassuringly at them before he nodded at Dumbledore. "Of course, Headmaster." He then turned to his friends. "I will be right back."

Harry followed Dumbledore until they were standing on a secluded corner of the Great Hall. On the outside, Harry's expression was even with a touch of curiosity but on the inside, he was frowning, wondering why the Headmaster wanted to speak to him so suddenly. After the fiasco with the troll that had not exchanged words and Harry had been glad because of it. Thankfully, Dumbledore had paid him the sum of five hundred galleons, which was what the troll he killed had been worth.

"How can I help you, Headmaster?"

Dumbledore smiled at Harry. "It has come to my attention that your grades are the highest among your peers and I wanted to congratulate you and advise you to keep doing as well as you can. Also, I would like to inquire about your plans for the holidays."

Harry inclined his head with a smile. On the inside, he frowned. "Thank you, Headmaster. Doing my best is the least I can do to make my parents proud, since they were top students too when they assisted Hogwarts. As for my plans for the holidays, Neville has invited me to spend it with him and his grandmother. I accepted."

On the outside, Dumbledore nodded. On the inside, he fumed. "Ah, that's most wonderful, Mister Potter. It had come to my attention recently that your relationship with your relatives was not the best so I had been my hope that you would stay here at Hogwarts for Christmas. I believe, however, that spending it with the Longbottom is just as, if not a better, an option as mine."

"You are very considerate, Headmaster." Harry said that but on the inside, he wondered why the Headmaster wanted to have him at Hogwarts during the holidays. He didn't doubt that Dumbledore wanted to attempt something. While the Headmaster had not done anything more than suspicious, he had all but confirmed that he was not someone he could trust. He had not even said to Harry that he was his Magical Guardian nor had he explained the reason behind his withdrawal of money for things other than to pay his Hogwarts tuition.

Dumbledore waved him off. "It's nothing like that, Harry. I'm just looking out for the wellbeing of my students."

Harry inclined his head. "Thank you."

Dumbledore watched Harry walk away from towards his friends, a frown on his face. He sighed and shook his head. If he had any doubt that Harry knew about his heritage then by the end of the holidays it won't matter. Augusta Longbottom was going to make sure Harry knew. The reason why Dumbledore didn't want Harry to know about his heritage was because he was going to die anyways before he could enjoy it or do something worthwhile with it and making Harry aware of his many riches was unnecessarily cruel.

It was also the reason why he wanted Harry to have a low self-esteem, in order to make him more willing to sacrifice himself willingly, just like his mother did, in order to give the people of Britain protection against Voldemort until Severus and him could deal with the Dark Lord. If Harry didn't think he was worth anything more than just someone that had to do anything to make sure his friends stayed safe, then Dumbledore was sure that he would die happily without any regrets.

Dumbledore shook his head and walked away. He needed to think.

 **XXXXXXXXXX**

Daniel and Emma Granger exchanged amused glances as they listened to their daughter ramble happily about her first months at Hogwarts as Daniel drove the car towards their home, the lingering fears and worries about Hermione being a witch slowly bleeding away.

As Catholic Christians, they had been understandably fearful and worried when Hermione's magical powers made themselves known with things floating around the house and changing colors out of nowhere. Thankfully, that letter had arrived not a day letter and a day after the arrival of the Hogwarts' letter, Professor McGonagall had personally come to explain what was happening with their daughter.

Unlike most of those that shared their beliefs, Daniel and Emma were open very open minded and quickly accepted the offer to have their daughter attend a magical school so she could learn how to use her newfound powers. It helped that their daughter didn't have a single bad bone in her, even refusing to have them go give the kids that tormented her a piece of their mind when they became aware of how she was treated by others because of her intelligence and dedication to schoolwork.

What motivated Daniel and Emma was their daughter's happiness and they knew she was never going to happy in the environment she was growing, so they decided to take the admittedly risky plunge and allowed her to go to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

And as far as they were aware, it had been a resounding success.

They had been waiting for Hermione on the other side of the portal between Platform 9 and 10 at King Cross Station when they had seen her smiling happily without her head being buried in a book, surrounded by boys and girls her age as they chatted with one another. Daniel and Emma, wanting to enjoy the sight, decided to leave her be for a few minutes.

There had been fourteen of them, including their daughter, and they couldn't help but notice that the number of girls almost doubled the number of boys on their group but they didn't pay that too much mind. Instead, they focused on the genuine happiness in Hermione's eyes as she talked with everyone, whom they noticed looked at their daughter with amused fondness and affection whenever she rambled.

The only other thing of notice that happened was when each one of them began to be picked up by their parents. They noticed that every adult was introduced to a black and messy haired boy with green eyes and round glasses first before they were introduced to any other and that they seemed very impressed and pleased when looking at him. It was strange enough that they decided to ask Hermione about it later.

When it had only been Hermione, the black-haired boy and a brown-haired one left, they had decided to approach them.

"Mum! Dad!" Had been Hermione's excited greeting before she hugged them in the manner she had inherited from Emma. After the warm greeting, she had tugged at their arms to drag them towards the two boys, who were looking on with the same fond amusement that had seen from the others. "C'mon! I want to introduce you to two of my friends!"

When they had approached, Hermione had motioned first to the black-haired boy and then to the brown haired one. "This is Harry Potter and this is Neville Longbottom. They are two of my best friends at Hogwarts and Harry is on the same house as me! Harry, Neville these are my mum and dad: Emma Granger and Daniel Granger. They are the best parents a girl could ask for!"

The black-haired boy, Harry, had smiled charmingly before he grasped Daniel's hand firmly with his own. "A pleasure to meet you. You have a very brilliant daughter. If it weren't for my easier time with practical work, she would easily be at the top of our year in all of our subjects." He then had gently grasped Emma's hand and kissed the back of it.

Emma hadn't been able to help the giggle that escaped her. "Oh my."

Neville chuckled and did the same. "Exactly what he said. Hermione and Harry make us look dumb in comparison. Though unlike Harry here, she is willing to help us inferior beings with our essays and other schoolwork."

Harry had looked offended. "Hey, I give you plenty of help."

Neville had snorted. "You barely do your own essays with annoyance. The others and I know better than to ask your help with theoretical work that isn't your own."

Harry had huffed with indignation but there also had been a good-humored smile on his face.

It had only taken Daniel and Emma a few minutes of conversation to deem Harry and Neville excellent friends for her daughter. Harry was possibly just as intelligent and diligent as her to keep her motivated to do her best at school and Neville, while perhaps not as academically inclined as Harry and Hermione, was a hard worker at heart and seemed to appreciate Hermione's efforts when she tried to help him. And according to them, all their other friends appreciated Hermione just as much as they did or even more in case of some of Hermione's girlfriends that they hadn't met in order to make their own observations.

All in all, Daniel and Emma didn't regret sending Hermione to Hogwarts. Hearing her ramble away with obvious happiness showed them that it was the best decision they have made and according to Professor McGonagall's words, there was no place safer in Britain, so the only thing they worried about was Hermione harming herself with her magic, though the professor had assured them that it wasn't likely after she got a hold of her wand and started practicing spells with it.

"… nothing really interesting happened other than the start of quidditch season, which is a sport that somehow combines football and basketball and it is played on flying broom of all things. I don't believe I like it but Harry was very interested on playing as a seeker or a chaser since those two positions are the ones that offer more freedom to fly while playing. I would prefer if he played seeker as it is safer than chaser. Though I'm afraid he has a knack for getting himself in trouble or in danger. He has already killed a fifteen-feet troll that wandered into the castle during Halloween."

Wait, what?

 **XXXXXXXXXX**

Many would think that Cygnus Greengrass with his impressive height, slicked black hair, neatly trimmed goatee and cool blue eyes was a cold man that didn't care for his family, only for how they could benefit him and his station as the Head of the Ancient and Noble House of Greengrass and the Leader of the Neutral Faction. That couldn't be farther from the truth. While in public he presented himself as cold as ice and uncaring, within the walls of the Greengrass Manor there were two secrets to Cygnus that should even one of them get out it would spell the end for his public image.

One, he was utterly and completely whipped by his lovely wife, Anastasia. And two, his two daughters, Daphne and Astoria, had him wrapped around their little fingers in such a manner that it barely took a pout, fluttering eyelids and misty eyes to get him to do anything they wanted. He was putty in their presence and he only was afraid to admit it in public.

Cygnus was extremely thankful for the fact that he had not needed to teach Daphne and Astoria with the methods his own parents had used with him when they were teaching him how to behave like the Heir and future Lord of House Greengrass. Anastasia took charge of that easily since a female had to conduct herself very different than a male and obviously his wife was more suited for the job than him.

Something that worked on their favor was that Daphne had not only inherited her father's hair color and eyes but also his demeanor when dealing with people that she didn't trust or didn't have a deep relationship. Astoria, who was carbon copy of Anastasia in almost every sense of the word, was more affable than Daphne when dealing with strangers, but she knew how to close herself up, just not as naturally as her older sister by one year.

So, unlike what the reaction of the students at Hogwarts that had interacted with Daphne in passing would be, Cygnus just grinned in delight when he saw his lovely wife smiling indulgently as a brightly smiling Daphne regaled a starry-eyed Astoria with stories about Hogwarts and everything she has learned. The three of them where on the living room, sitting around the lightened chimney, enjoying the warmth of the fire, which changed colors every few seconds.

"Good evening, girls! How are my-!"

"Daddy!"

"Uff!" Even though he had just been headbutted in the gut by Daphne, Cygnus grinned as he wrapped his arms around his eldest daughter." I missed you, princess."

Daphne looked up at him with a grin the reflected his own, but it was way more adorable on her face. "I missed you too, daddy." She then pouted as she stepped away and put her hands on her hips. "Why weren't you there when I arrived at King Cross? I wanted to introduce you to my friends and acquaintances."

Anastasia giggle behind her hand when Cygnus sent a raised eyebrow at her. "You might want hear just who she made friends with, dear. You are going to get a very pleasant surprise."

"Daphne's best friend is Harry Potter," said Astoria, a mischievous smirk on her face as her eyes sparkled unholily.

"Tori! He is not my best friend!"

"He is the one you have mentioned the most ever since you started to brag about how utterly awesome Hogwarts is."

Daphne had the decency to blush.

Cygnus, both eyebrow now near to his neat hairline, looked at his amused wife. "Should I be worried?"

Anastasia laughed and shook her head. "Not for a couple of years, at least." She smirked, her expression identical to Astoria's. "But when that time comes, I am afraid you won't even have time to start worrying."

Cygnus sighed as he let himself fall on his personal leather couch. "That's just great," he murmured with despondency before he looked at Daphne, who was glaring fiercely at an innocent looking Astoria, who wasn't fooling anyone. "What can you tell me about the friends you made, Daphne?"

Daphne stopped glaring at her sister before she turned towards her father, retaking her seat in the process. "Tracey and I were sorted into Slytherin. The only other friend I made there was Blaise Zabini, the only other true Slytherin apart from Trace and me. The others that were sorted into Slytherin were the Heirs of the Dark Families that share age with me." She scowled. "Bullies, bigots and simpletons, the lot of them."

Cygnus sighed. "Then they will be just like their parents, which isn't a very promising prospect. In any case, I approve of your friendship with the Zabini lad. As… questionable as his mother's reputation is in Italy, she has many connections that could prove to be useful in the future along with many successful businesses that he is sure to inherit in the future," he mused thoughtfully.

Daphne frowned. "I didn't become his friend because of that."

Cygnus smiled reassuringly at her. "I know that, princess. That's just the politician and business man in me rambling. Please, continue."

"I made friends and acquaintances in all of the other Houses. From Hufflepuff I get along well with Hannah Abbott. Ernest MacMillan is also in Hufflepuff but we knew each other from before, obviously. I became good friends with Susan Bones. From Gryffindor, I am good friends with Neville Longbottom and Parvati Patil is tolerable when she isn't gossiping. And from Ravenclaw I am good friends with Harry Potter and Hermione Granger, who is muggleborn. Don't let that fool you. She is brilliant. Padma Patil, Parvati's twin, is also in Ravenclaw and she is also more tolerable than her sister."

The more names she spoke, the more impressed Cygnus became. His daughter spoke of names that in the future were going to become prominent members of their society and while he was sure that Daphne was aware of that, he also knew that Daphne would've only made friends with them because she genuinely liked first and because of what they could possibly offer her in the future later.

Anastasia had taught her well, it seemed.

Cygnus was now giving his daughter a calculating look. "Harry Potter is in Ravenclaw?"

Daphne raised an eyebrow and nodded. "He is. As a matter of fact, he is at the top of al of classes and he is the best when it comes to put to practice what we learn. I thought they would've mentioned the House he was in in the article the made about him when he killed the mountain troll only using first year spells. He is also very nice and polite. Oh, he even started a club so we can teach ourselves DADA because our teacher for that subject, Quirinus Quirrell, is, and I quote, 'a bloody hoax that barely knows how to speak and clearly has medical scent perception issues.'"

"Language, young lady," admonished Anastasia gently but firmly.

"Sorry mum."

Cygnus hmmed in thought for a few seconds before he smiled in amusement. "Well, that certainly explains and confirms a few things that have been happening in the past few months."

Daphne raised an eyebrow at her father. "What do you mean?"

Cygnus chuckled. "I think you might want to ask Harry Potter about his extracurricular activities, princess. You might get a surprise. Now, tell me about what you have learned."

 **XXXXXXXXXX**

Augusta Longbottom couldn't help the amused, and smug, smile on her wizened face as she looked at her grandson, Neville, and their guest for the holidays, Harry Potter. Things have changed a fair amount ever since the summer holidays of this year and she knew that it was all because Harry Potter had come back to the Wizarding World. One would've chalked it to mere coincidence had certain things not been happening ever since.

One of the most prominent was that many of the businesses all over Magical and Muggle Britain that used to belong to the Potter House that had been either in possession of other people/families or were simply not functioning anymore had swiftly started functioning again. The same was happening all over Europe according to the reports she got from her contacts all over the continent.

She had been told by Neville, of course, what to expect but even then, she had been highly skeptical. Because, after all, what could an eleven-year-old kid with no prior knowledge to how the magical world worked would be able to do with the reduced funds of his House Vault, to which he didn't have access until he turned seventeen? A bloody bunch of brilliant things, that is what he could do. Short sighted people, like Nott for example, wouldn't see what this meant. But more intelligent ones, like herself, Greengrass, MacMillan and Malfoy to name a few knew exactly what it meant.

It was going to be a matter of a few years for The Most Ancient and Noble House of Potter to be back to where it once stood before the First Wizarding British Civil War. And all of that was because of the eleven-year-old that was currently laughing as he used his wand to make Trevor grow wings so his beautiful and abnormally brilliant owl, Aura, could teach him how to fly. He was also the reason why her Neville acted more like his father. For helping Neville bring out his true nature, Harry Potter will forever have Augusta Longbottom's gratefulness.

She had been surprised when she learned he was Ravenclaw, believing him to be a Slytherin because of everything he had done in just a few months, but that had made sense when she saw the staggering amount of intelligence he possessed. Augusta had thought Lily Potter, his mother, was going to be the brightest and most brilliant person she would ever know, but she was now doubting that. Her son was going to at the very least give her a run for her money by the time he turned fifteen, maybe even earlier if you took into account the fact that he killed a mountain troll… at eleven… with first year spells…

Bloody hell James and Sirius would have been proud of him.

Thinking of Sirius made Augusta's heart constrict with pain. Unlike most of the morons that made up the population of Magical Britain, she didn't believe that utter rubbish about him betraying James and Lily, his family in all but blood, to the Dark Lord. She had tried her damnest to look for evidence to get him freed from Azkaban but she had not been able to find anything even after ten years. If that wasn't enough, everyone believed what had been spread about him, which made everything even more difficult. Because of that, she had little hope left about proving Sirius' innocence even though the evidence found pointed to what was currently known to be the truth.

She was extremely glad that apparently, he didn't know about Sirius. That way he wouldn't be tainted by the false statements that had been spread about one of the most righteous and noble men she ever had the pleasure to know. And maybe in the future they could work together to prove that Sirius is innocent. She was sure, after everything she had seen, that with Harry's help they would be able to succeed where she had failed before.

But that could wait. Despite of what he had accomplished, his intelligence and his maturity, Harry was still a child and there were still things he needed to learn and experience before he could set out to free a man that was falsely accused of mass murdering and betrayal of the greatest degree. Harry still needed to experience the joy of being a child now that he could. She knew that in the near future he was not going to have time for that.

She was sure of it.

 **XXXXXXXXXX**

Harry looked at the Regents of the Houses that led the 'Light' faction of the ruling bodies in Wizarding Britain. They were on Longbottom Manor, since it had been Harry who had called for the meeting and he was currently staying there. They were sitting on a smallish table so they were close to one another so there wouldn't be a reason to raise their voices. The Longbottom House Elf, Lopsy, had already delivered pastries and tea for them.

Harry examined the people that were going to be his more important allies from now on until the rightful heirs could take command of the families when they came of age. Jacob Abbott was a tall and handsome man that shared his niece's hair but his eyes were a light brown. He wore robes of obviously good quality but there wasn't anything pompous about him. As a matter of fact, he looked very relaxed as he grinned at Harry with amusement.

He had already met with Madame Amelia Bones when she had come to Hogwarts after the troll incident but Harry learned that she was more than just a stern woman that only showed a soft side when her niece, Susan, was involved. Though she was very formal, she was now very relaxed as she exchanged words with Augusta. Even then, Harry didn't doubt that she could become the woman that had threatened Dumbledore in a blink of an eye if the situation demanded it.

And finally, there was Augusta Longbottom herself, Neville's grandmother. Meeting her had been interesting. She was the kind of grandmother that all her grandchildren loved but dreaded to meet with her because of her teasing. If Harry recalled it right, it had not been twenty minutes after she picked them up before she had him and Neville blushing up a storm as she made comments about the number of girls they had befriended. Neville had it worst, of course.

"You know," began Jacob, an amused tilt to his voice. "I thought the one called 'Trollslayer' would be quite a bit taller."

Harry raised an eyebrow. "I am eleven years old. I am supposed to be this tall, Mister Abbott."

Jacob waved a hand dismissively. "Mister Abbott was my father and you calling me that makes me feel old. Call me Jacob."

"Alright then," said Harry with a smile and a nod before he sobered up and he caught the gaze of the other two occupants. "Thank you all for coming here and giving me a fair opportunity to show you that I can contribute to this alliance and the Light faction even now."

Amelia inclined her head. "There's nothing to thank, Heir Potter. While normally I would be more than a bit skeptical about allowing an eleven-year-old be a prominent member of even our meetings, you have already proven yourself to be more than what you appear, though I am not entirely unbiased myself," she said, her smile soft and thankful.

"Neville has told me that you are already changing how Hogwarts has been working for a few decades and you don't even have one complete term there yet. And if that wasn't enough, you are the leader of an apparently successful and clandestine club that helps interested and dedicated students with DADA. And even before that you set up in motion the necessary actions for House Potter to be in the future the powerhouse that it was before the Civil War. Do I need to say more?"

Jacob grinned. "I just think it's bloody wicked that you managed to slay a troll at eleven. That's enough reason for me to respect you."

While Harry blushed in embarrassment, Augusta and Amelia exchanged an exasperated look and rolled their eyes.

Harry coughed and allowed himself a second to control his flustering. "Um, thank you again. It was really not that hard. Sharpclaw was very adamant about putting the Potter House back where it belonged economically, though the greedy git charged me extra for it anyways. And I was not the only student who wanted to complete the curriculum for DADA so it was just a matter of all of us agreeing for a study plan and a meeting schedule. As for the troll, that was mostly luck to be completely honest. It broke my arm before I could kill it."

The three adults exchanged knowing glances as they were filled with nostalgia. In that moment, Harry reminded them of Lily, who despite her brilliance always played off her accomplishments as mere luck, not a big deal or the result of the work of many when it was clear that it was her who did most, if not all, the work. That spoke well for him and the future of his house. They knew that while James straightened up before he left Hogwarts and that he was Lord Potter, the true power behind House Potter had always been Lily. Had it not been for the war and the amount of resources she procured for the Order of the Phoenix, the Light and DMLE, House Potter would've reached heights never seen before. And now they were seeing that possibility in Harry, who was shaping up to be just like his mother.

"Anyways," Harry continued, noticing the shared glances and the wistful smiles but deciding not to comment on it. "I want to meet with you because I spent the summer learning as much as I could about the history of Magical Britain, the bodies that rule it and the current political and economic situation after learning that I will be one of its most prominent members the moment I hit majority the moment I turn seventeen. And for the sake of brutal honesty and to not sound rude too, I find it lacking."

Jacob snorted. "You and me both, kid."

Amelia raised an amused eyebrow while Augusta chuckled behind her palm. "Would you mind explaining, Heir Potter?"

Harry shook his head. "I get that the magical community is extremely backwards in many aspects compared to the more mundane side of our shared nation because we have the gift of magic and that results in wizards and witches not needing to develop advanced technologies to deal with our problems, but come on! I get that the legislative and judicial branches of the government should be left to those wizards and witches that have grown into the ins and outs of Magical Britain, but the executive branch and the work opportunities should be open for anyone competent enough. And don't let me get started on the levels of bigotry and hate that basically shape the current state of affairs within Britain and its relationship with other Magical Communities!"

"That about sums up what we have been fighting for ever since the Light faction was founded by... Albus Dumbledore… after he defeated Grindelwald," said Augusta dryly, pausing when she was about to say Dumbledore's name to make sure she said it as neutrally as she could as she had come to abhor the old man after what he had done and its implications had become known to her, and making the two other adults nod. "Though I find it curious that you mentioned that purebloods should be left in charge of the legislative and judicial bodies while muggleborns should be only considered equals to purebloods should the run for the position of Minister or when looking for a job. Wouldn't it be best if everyone had the same opportunity for everything?"

Harry raised an eyebrow. "Would a man or woman born and raised in Japan know enough about how things work here in Britain in order to pass new laws and decide the proper punishments for those who break the law here?" He asked rhetorically to answer her question. Just like he expected, the three adults shook their heads immediately. "What I am trying to say is that if we want to make sure that the Dark faction doesn't win, which would be disastrous and would likely result in a Magical War involving the entire Europe more than likely, is that we need to appeal to the Neutral faction while staying true to our own ideals."

Jacob suddenly grinned. "Oh, I see now. Since the Neutrals are interested in only keeping their power, which essentially falls on the legislative and judicial branches of the government, and expanding the reach, standing and influence of Magical Britain we can appeal to their own ideals while still accomplishing our original goals! That's brilliant!"

Amelia's smile was approving. "I think I can get behind that new approach. If the Dark faction comes to rule Britain it would be a disaster. I want stability for our community and I believe that what Heir Potter is proposing has a lot of merit. It won't be that easy to accomplish but I can see stability being achieved if we pursue this path."

"I believe we all agree that Harry's suggestions will be our new approach on how we do things, yes?" Asked Augusta in a rather unnecessary fashion and she got nods from her fellow adults and a beaming smile from Harry, which she returned before she sobered up. "Our only issues would be how to keep the Dumbledore from interfering and how to not blatantly approach the Neutrals with our proposals."

Harry snorted. "I think Dumbledore will be too busy trying to manipulate me and my life for some reason or another to see how things will be shifting in the political and economic side of things," said Harry dryly, earning scowls and nods from the three adults. They had not taken too kindly to Dumbledore's actions so far. Harry smiled then. "And for how to get the neutrals to listen us, I think we can leave that to those of our faction that are already involved with the Ministry, right? I would love to help directly right now, but I think I would be more useful keeping my friendship with Heiress Greengrass and Heir MacMillan."

There was a pregnant pause for a few seconds before Jacob bellowed with laughter. "Oh, for Merlin's saggy and sweaty balls, kid. Are you sure you are not truly a Slytherin?"

Harry's smile was positively feral. "I am not, Jacob. I am just a Ravenclaw that is entirely too concerned by the state of this new world that just suddenly became his home and realizes that he can do something about it and is also willing to do what it's needed to make sure that his new home is at its best. Truthfully, had I been an Slytherin I wouldn't be able to do half the things I am planning to do in the future."

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

Holy crap! 1k favs and 1.5 follows in a little over a month's time and only four chapters. I'm blown away guys. Thank you for your support. I would like to apologize for the long wait. I had to deal with real life issues along with some tests in college but I have twenty days of free time. If things go as I expect I should be able to finish second year and start the third one but don't take my word on that.

Someone pointed out that me commenting on the chapter would reduce the amount of reviews, so I will stop doing that. I don't write for reviews, mind you, but it is good to read as much constructive criticism as one can afford to get better. Instead, I think I will start answering to your more relevant reviews from the previous chapter. And don't worry, the responses will be after the chapter because I know it is annoying to scroll down to find the start of the actual chapter.

Thank you for your time. See you in the next installment which should come out on Saturday.

PD: Did you know that corn and meat muffins are actually a thing? They are surprisingly good.


	6. Busy Holidays

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Harry Potter. It belongs to J. K. Rowling, Warner Bros and Bloomsbury. I only own the original plot ideas and concepts that I implement in this piece of fiction to make it a bit more original and entertaining. Make sure to read the A/N at the end of every chapter to catch any news about the story. Enjoy!

* * *

A few pointers before we start the chapter.

 **AU:** Magical cores are a thing. Not everyone has the same magical potential. Wizards and witches can tap into the ambient magic for the most powerful rituals and spells, but it is extremely difficult and very few can do it.

 **AU:** There are ancient and noble houses. The Sacred Twenty-Eight are such houses. House Malfoy is not one of the Sacred Twenty-Eight since they are originally from France, and the Sacred Twenty-Eight refer to the founding _British_ families of Magical Britain. The Potters, however, are a member of the Sacred Twenty-Eight, since their ancestry can be traced back to the Peverell Family, who were one of the many that led the foundation of Magical Britain.

 **AU:** Britain's Wizard/Witches Population is slightly over than 20,000, instead of just a few thousand.

 **AU:** Godric's Hollow belonged solely to the House of Potter and its where their main manor was located. It was abandoned after Death Eaters mostly destroyed it.

I believe that's all for now. If you are not put off by the summary nor by what I established above this final message, then I truly hope you enjoy the story.

* * *

 **Busy Holidays**

* * *

"Let's build a snowman."

Neville raised an eyebrow. "Why would you want to build one of the most dangerous creatures that live in cold and remote areas, Harry?"

"Besides, snowmen can't be built. You need both a snowman and a snowwoman to get a snowbaby… I think," chimed in Hannah, a thoughtful finger on her chin.

Susan rolled her eyes but she had an amused smile on her face. "I don't think Harry was referring to the distant, colder and angrier cousins of giants when he suggested building a snowman."

Harry chuckled shaking his head. "Susan is right. In the mundane side of Britain, when the land is covered in snow kids like us get together and build a snow man, which is basically big snow balls piled up one atop of another with sticks serving as arms, rocks serving as eyes and mouth and a carrot serving as a nose," he said, motioning to the now white field that was the backyard of Longbottom manor. It had snowed yesterday quite a lot and now everything was covered in in the white frozen water.

Neville blinked. "Oh. That sounds interesting and fun. But why would you use a carrot for the nose?"

Harry shrugged. "Everyone did it as far as I know. I think is a custom or something you are just expected to do when you build a snow man," he said, getting understanding nods from his friends. He then smiled in excitement. "The reason I want to build one is that I think that Professor Flitwick has taught us enough charms to animate it! If I get it right I might even set it up so it throws snowballs to those that get too close to the manor."

Hannah giggled. "If you are remotely successful then you will find yourself with a pouting Hermione and a glaring Daphne for a few weeks since they are unable to come and be a part of this insanity."

Harry waved her off. "I can deal with that. I'll make it up to them with my Christmas gifts in any case."

Susan raised an eyebrow at him. "Bribing, are we now?"

Harry shrugged his shoulders. "It works. And if it helps me prevent them from leaving the running of the Defense Club to us for a month I think you should also think of a spectacular present for them, wouldn't you agree?"

Susan paled as Neville and Hannah began to laugh. "Yeah. I think I should do that. I better start thinking about new presents for them. I only have three days left before Christmas."

Harry smirked. "Let's do this then."

Building the snowman didn't take them long since they were working in tandem. Due to Harry being the only one there knowing what a snowman was supposed to look like as he had built a few before learning about the true nature of his powers. Using basic transfiguration theory, he molded the three snowballs that were going to be used for the body. The first one, and the base, reached up to Harry's chest and was twice as thick as his torso. The second one, the one that was on the middle, was three fourths that size and the final one, which was the head, was three fourths the size of the second one.

Neville was tasked with gathering the rocks and the sticks and he was back with them just when Harry finished putting the snowballs one of top of the other in the correct other with the deliberate use of the levitation charm. He then had Neville use the levitation charm to arrange the rocks to simulate a shirt on the middle snowball, and a set of eyes and a smiling mouth on the third snowball.

While Neville did that, Harry worked with the wooden sticks to make arms out of them. He used a bit of transfiguration to simulate an articulated hand so the snowman could hold the snowballs and an articulated arm so the snowman could throw the snowballs easily. Harry also made sure that the arms were long enough that they could reach the ground, since the snowman was not going to be able to bend what with its body.

Susan and Hannah had gone back to the Longbottom house to get the carrot but it seemed like they decided to go beyond that. While Hannah came back holding a handful of the orange root vegetables while Susan was holding a green and black scarf in one hand while the other held a red and white Christmas hat. With eager grins on their faces as they looked at what was already done, they used the levitation charm to keep them afloat so Harry could give the snow man the finishing touches.

First, he used the sticking charm on the hat and the scarf so they wouldn't fall off and put them where they were supposed to go. Then, he used transfiguration to mix the handful of carrots and make an even bigger one that was proportionate to the admittedly big snowman. And finally, he put the carrot just above the mouth, also using a sticking charm in case it fell off, with the pointy end angled slightly upwards and tilted to the side.

The four of them stared up at their finished sow construct with varying degrees of awe, apprehension and smugness.

"It looks silly, bit kind of wicked too," admitted Neville.

Hannah shuddered a little. "I don't know about you but that smile is a bit creepy to me."

Susan hmmed a little before she smiled. "I have to disagree with you, Hannah. I think it's cute in a bizarre way."

Harry had a smug smirk on his face. "I think I have just built the coolest snowman to have ever been built by an eleven-year-old wizard. He is not silly, Nev. He is not creepy, Hannah. And he is certainly not cute in any fashion, Susan. He is just plain wicked. Even a bit menacing with that perpetual stony smile on its face. And I haven't even enchanted it yet!"

While Susan and Hannah rolled their eyes at him, Neville raised an eyebrow at him. "He?"

Harry nodded. "Yep. It wasn't intentional but a think our snowman looks more like a he than a she. His expression is rougher than what a woman's would normally be. Hmm, I think he needs a name. Ideas, anyone?"

There was a pause.

"Snowy?"

"Eh, too generic. Next."

"How about… Ivor."

"Hm, not bad. I feel that it lacks something, though."

"Jon?"

Harry raised an eyebrow at Neville. "Why would you give a snowman the name 'Jon'?

Neville shrugged. "I don't know, to be honest. It just came to me. Jon the Snowman has good ring to it, you must admit."

Harry considered that for a moment before nodding. "I can admit that, yes. But there is no way in hell I'm naming a snowman Jon of all possible names. I want something powerful and meaningful. Something that would strike the fear of an impending snowball barrage in the hearts of those that dare to approach this holy land!"

Hannah looked at Harry weirdly while Susan giggled. Neville just shook his head with fond exasperation. "A name is not that important now, Harry. Why don't we enchant it first and then we decide on a name after we make sure whatever you have planned for it to do works?"

Harry most certainly didn't pout. "Hmph, alright then."

Harry pointed his ebony wand at the still unnamed snowman and focused his intent for the animation charm, which had been the last one they have learned before the first half of the term ended. Professor Flitwick had them use the charm to make a wooden doll dance and perform other mundane actions. Harry liked the charm a lot because it was entirely depended on the intent of caster and the specification the caster gave as her or she put into the charm when directed to the target.

" _Innocent Mischievousness and Playfulness. Desire to throw snowballs to those that get too close. Make snowballs out of the snow closest to you. Aim always to the head or torso. Never hurt anyone. Always wait until someone is at least fifteen feet away from you before you launch a snowball."_

That was the beauty of the animation charm. It versatility. The wand movements and the incantation would forever be the same but the effects would change according to the intent of the caster. The only real short coming of the spell was the fact that the more commands you put into the animation the less powerful and lasting the enchantment would be. Since had given it seven commands, he suspected he would need to reply it in two or three days.

With a flourish of his wand and seven sparks of light flying from the tip of his wand towards the snowman, Harry finished the enchantment and he put away his wand back. The four of them stared at the still unmoving snowman.

"Did it work?" Asked Hannah tentatively.

"I don't know," answered Neville with a shrug.

"Only one way to find out."

Slowly, Harry approached the snowman. When he was about fifteen feet away the only warning he received before he found his face covered in snow was the grin on the snowman's face widening. Harry wiped the snow off his face and he laughed as he jumped away from another thrown snowball. He saw the snowman scooping up, almost impossibly quick, the snow, forming the snowballs and twirling its arm entirely before another ball was thrown at him with perfect accuracy right at his chest.

Harry evaded that one and stepped back until he was out of the activation range and the snowman was completely still once again. He turned towards his friend and they were all looking at the now innocent and supposedly normal snowman with wide eyes. He smirked.

"Hm, I think it did."

 **XXXXXXXXXX**

"Good morning! Merry Christmas, gran. Merry Christmas, Harry."

"Good morning and merry Christmas to you too, dear."

"… Merry Christmas, Nev. Now, would you finally explain to me how did you guys manage convince me to name our wicked snowman that hurls snowballs at anyone that gets too close with the ridiculous name of 'Bally McSnow'?"

Neville rolled his eyes. "Get over it, Harry. It's just a name and it suits him. Hannah had the perfect idea when she came up with the name."

Harry most certainly didn't pout. "But it's not wicked enough!"

Neville groaned and he turned towards his amused grandmother. "Can we start opening our presents before he goes on another rant about appropriate names for snowmen?"

Augusta chuckled. "Of course, dear. Since Harry is our guest, why don't we let him go first?"

Harry just sighed in defeat but he seemingly forgot about it in a few seconds as he turned towards the literal mountain of gifts that had been delivered to him. It appeared that all his friends, acquittances and then some had sent him a Christmas gift. If he was honest with himself, Harry felt a bit overwhelmed as he had never been gifted something in his life before. It made him happy, to know that he was finally appreciated by somehow but it was still a hard, but most assuredly welcomed, pill to swallow.

Harry proceeded to open all his gifts and he couldn't help but be reminded of the senders when he saw what each of them sent him. Hermione sent him a collection of mystery and crime books, which were his favorite genre of books. That was just like her. In turn, Harry had also given her a few books but hers were fantasy novels with romance subgenre, those being her favorite types of books… which was very at odds with her general demeanor of preferring facts to conjectures. Also, Harry managed to get his hand on a notebook that never ran out of pages and a quill that never let ink dry, which he also sent to her.

Terry had sent him a set of charmed blankets that assured a goodnight's eight-hour sleep. Harry supposed that it was something Terry would send, seeing as if there was nothing more than the boy loved more than his sleep and relaxing time. So, Harry, to aid him with his relaxing time, Harry sent him mundane Marvel and DC comic books. Harry doubted there was something more relaxing than lean back and read one.

Padma and Parvati, knowing about his love for learning new things, had sent him many books about Indian mythology and history. Harry in turn, with some help from Augusta, had managed to acquire a few traditional indian dresses for Parvati, who was into fashion, and he had picked up a few advanced books on Astronomy and books on its history, which surprisingly enough was Padma's favorite subject, followed by charms and DADA.

He wasn't that close to Lisa Turpin, but they had talked enough times that he deemed it at least polite to send her something and it seemed like she had though likewise. She had sent him magical sweets and treats that had many tidbits about magical theory and history. Harry in turn had sent her few books about history of magical and mundane Britain both.

Daphne had sent him three books on more advanced theory of Charms, Transfiguration and DADA and a smallish book about Occlumency. The former were his favorite subjects and he had to smile in triumph at the las gift. He had already finished reading the books they were currently using and while he had yet to practice the slightly more complicated spells, he felt that it was time to acquire more knowledge on those branches of magics. Not before he mastered the practical aspect of the theory he already, obviously. And books about Occlumency had eluded him ever since he had started to look for one of those. Apparently, the art was very obscure and those that knew about it guarded its secrets very closely.

Harry knew that Daphne had sent him an almost invaluable gift and he felt that the scarf he himself charmed to change colors to match whatever she was wearing and to keep the temperature around her always warm if it was cold or a milder temperature if it was uncomfortably warm was inadequate now. Harry decided to look into how to make things more even between them.

Tracey, like Lisa, had sent him a lot of sweets but she had also sent him a board of magic chess. If he was honest, Harry liked the game for the simple fact that it was productive way to keep the mind entertained and he had to admit that the actions of the enchanted pieces and their cheers when they won were amusing. In turn, since Tracey was a tomboy and she was interested in being an Auror, he had given her a book on more advanced DADA theory, which was her favorite subject, and mundane books about general exercising. He knew that she was going to love those.

Blaise for his part had gotten Harry three sets of formal robes of different colors (black, dark grey and emerald green) that will adjust to his growth as he aged and there had been another thing that surprised him: a letter from Blaise's mother, Selene Zabini, about a possible business partnership between them should Harry's businesses in Italy reach a certain level of success.

That made Harry realize that people had already started to notice his actions, though he doubted that many would see them for what they really were. Dumbledore no doubt would reach the correct conclusions in a heartbeat but it was already too late. The only authority Dumbledore would have over him from now on was as his Headmaster and that was only temporary until he finished his magical education.

Oh, Harry had gotten Blaise a pocket watch of the likeness of his own, the difference being that Blaise's watch had the Slytherin colors and had a few other charms embedded into it that should prove useful for the observant, quiet and dry-humored Italian boy.

From Susan, and from Amelia too apparently, he had gotten a book on basic dueling tactics and spells and what looked like the first stage of the Auror physical training program. If he was honest, this was one of the gifts that he liked the most and he was also glad that his present was adequate in comparison to theirs. Amelia had been easy, since she was a fan of whiskey and acquiring a bottle of the alcoholic beverage of the best quality was not as difficult as it sounded. For Susan, since she enjoyed music a lot, he acquired for her a disk player and a collection of the best songs of the genres she enjoyed the most.

Hannah had given him a few books on the history of his favorite subjects and in turn Harry had sent to her a few botany books that quite probably covered the known flora of the mundane world, since she enjoyed Herbology as much as Neville. He knew that she was going to love her gift. Jacob had sent him two books 'Fantastic Beast and Where to Find Them' and 'Dangerous Beasts and How to Face Them' jokingly writing 'Just in case.'. In turn, Harry had sent the fun-loving man a quidditch table, which allowed two wizards the use of their wands to play quidditch at an extremely reduced scale.

Ernie, whom Harry considered to have a similar level of friendship as the one he had with Blaise, had sent him a few 'charm puzzles', a concept that fascinated Harry. There were enchanted items that you had to analyze, deconstruct and build again before you could advance to the next one. There were thirty of them, each one more difficult than the other, and according to the maker even seventh year students had trouble with the last ones. Harry in turn had sent him an enchanted book that showed the most impressive official duels of Britain's Dueling Circuit, since dueling was one of Ernie's interests.

Harry turned towards Neville after he opened his gift from him. "Really, Nev? You got me a Nimbus 2000? I appreciate it, I really do. But… bloody really? I still have to wait like nine months before I am able to try out for the quidditch team. And I am not even sure if I should try for seeker or chaser."

Neville shrugged his shoulders. "Better start practicing, then," he said almost flippantly, but there was an almost smug smile on his face and his eyes showed that he was glad that Harry had liked his gift. Never the Longbottom Heir had been so grateful for his Gran's connections.

Harry just shook his head after admiring the beautiful and impressive broom. At least, he was not going to feel weird about getting Neville a Mimbulus Mimbletonia. Don't ask him how he managed to acquire the extremely rare plant. Bloody goblins. He couldn't stop thanking Lady Luck about the one thousand galleons that he had acquired thanks to his killing of the mountain troll. It had barely been enough to cover the expenses of all his gifts.

Weirdly enough, it had been easy to get a gift for Augusta. She liked stylish hats, so stylish hast she had gotten from him. In turn, she had gifted him with an album of photos of his parents. While Harry had long ago grown beyond needing parents, having something to be reminded of them and the sacrifice they had made to keep him safe, even if he didn't know about what that sacrifice entailed, was nice.

Even Professor McGonagall and Professor Flitwick had sent him a present. Professor McGonagall had sent him what he believed to be copies of her Transfiguration notebooks from when she had attended Hogwarts and Professor Flitwick had sent him an extensive book on more advanced dueling tactics and spells that was apparently written by one of his ancestors, a Fimineus Flitwick. Harry was secretly extremely glad for giving Professor McGonagall a collection of the best Firewhisky brands in the market and through the goblins he had managed to get a collection of enchanted ornamental weapons.

Harry had to wonder why Molly Weasly had sent him a knitted red sweater with a golden capital 'H' in the front of it. Perhaps as an apology for what Ron had done? In any case, he would have to get something for her and Gred and Forge to not feel guilty about it. Not like he was going to wear it, mind you. It was hideous and its colors were not his. He much preferred darker and more subdued ones. It was the thought that counted, though.

"Hmm," came from Harry as he inspected the last gift he had yet to open. He grabbed the letter that it had attached and his brow furrowed as he read it. "It says that this used to belong to my father and that it actually is a family heirloom and that I should use it well. It doesn't say who sent but it feels like I have seen it before…" Harry trailed off as he wracked his brain thinking about it.

"Why would someone give you something that belongs to you as a Christmas gift?" Asked Neville with some incredulity.

Augusta snorted. "That seems like something Albus Dumbledore would do."

Harry perked up at that. "The Headmaster! This is the Headmaster's handwriting. I remember it from the permission he wrote for Susan and me when Madame Bones came to investigate what happened during the troll incident!" Now wary, Harry slowly opened the wrapped present and he blinked when he saw the neatly folded silvery cloak that had many stylish designs along its edges but the most peculiar one was in the middle in black: a circle, surrounded by a triangle with a line going through the middle.

Augusta gasped. "That's James' Invisibility Cloak! He told everyone that it was lost after one of the final battles against the Death Eaters! How did Dumbledore get his hands on it? More importantly, why wait until now to give it to you when I am sure there has been plenty an opportunity to do so before? Oh, I don't like this! I don't like this at all!"

While Madame Longbottom ranted, Harry unfolded the cloak and he noticed that it was shaped like the common robes wore by wizards and witches, only with a hood attached to it and sleeves that were noticeably longer in comparison to the overall length of the cloak. The material felt like silky and solid water on his hands and it rippled beautifully as he rand his hands over it.

"Wicked," murmured Neville as he looked at the cloak.

"Aunt Augusta," said Harry, calling her with the name she had insisted he called her when in private. She turned towards him but there was still a thunderous expression on her face. " You knew my parents well so I trust that you could identify an item that belonged to my father by sight, so I think it is safe to assume that this is the genuine thing, correct?"

Augusta took a deep breath to calm down her temper and she nodded, giving the cloak in Harry's hand another once over. "Yes. That's the genuine article. I know because of its designs and the fact that it would only shine like that when it was help by those with Potter blood or where magically tied to the family. There is also the fact that James' cloak was the most powerful of its kind. Along with rendering the wearer completely invisible, it prevented them from being detected by scent, sound and even the _Homenum Revelio_ spell."

Harry nodded. "I understand. Then I think we will have to verify its abilities and see if it is truly is my father's cloak. But that will happen after I get the goblins to inspect it for any extra charm that has nothing to do with concealing the presence of an individual. I don't trust Dumbledore, and my reasons for not doing so are obvious. Taking into account the weird and disturbing interest he has in me and the House of Potter, I think it would be sensible to do that before wearing it.

Neville seemed disappointed that he had to wait to see the cloak in action.

Augusta nodded in approval. "I believe that would be the most sensible course of action, yes."

Harry nodded and with a lot of care he set the cloak aside after folding it back. He turned towards Neville and smiled. "Now, Nev. Let's see what _you_ got for Christmas. If May I be so bold, I believe that you will like my gift the most, so I would recommend opening it last."

 **XXXXXXXXXX**

Molly Weasly nee Prewett was an ambitious woman. That trait of hers was only known to herself, a fact that gathered no small amount of pride from her. As a matter of fact, the only reason she hadn't be sorted into Slytherin was because of her willingness to do anything if it meant accomplishing what she wanted. It was that trait that landed her on Gryffindor. Being sorted there was probably the best thing that happened to her, since teachers and other students hardly looked for scheming people in the House of Lions.

There were two things that Molly desired above all things: A life of comfort and riches so that she could stand above those that had ridiculed in the past and for her family to have the highest amount of influence in the political and social spectrum of Magical Britain. It was the reason behind her current strained relationship with her two eldest sons, William and Charlie, who had gone and gotten jobs that had them out of the country most often than not in Bill's case and never setting foot in the country on Charlie's place, which was the complete opposite of what she desired for them.

She also worried for the Twins and their silly and simple dream of opening a joke shop of all things in Diagon Alley. Her only consolation was that they were still young and could be molded to think better and the fact that despite their 'normal' demeanor, they were still extremely good students and had a knack for Potions and Charms, meaning that they could secure a more respectful career in the future.

In Molly's eyes, Percy was the perfect son. He got more than decent grades generally, fell back behind everything she said and had a good head on his shoulders. She had done an excellent job with him. He was even named prefect! If that wasn't proof enough that Percy should be the example of what a son of hers should be the she doubted anything else would. She still found herself humming in happiness whenever she was reminded of Percy's desire to find a job at the Ministry.

She also worried for Ron, though for different reasons than the twins. While Ron easily fell behind anything she said, she was not above to admitting that Ron's talents might no grow above a scarily competent mind for chess and acquiring knowledge pertaining to quidditch and a seemingly infinite mokeskin poach for a stomach. He had even failed to befriend Harry Potter, which was the only thing she asked of him to do while in Hogwarts. She admitted that he not searching for their help to get into Platform 9 ¾ might have something to do with Ron's failure, but she digressed.

It would have been worse had Fred and George not apologized for the entire Weasly family, though she doubted it was with the intention she would've intended, but genuinely. They didn't have a manipulative bone in their bodies, though they could be surprisingly cunning in their own manner.

Anyways, Molly was glad that a crisis had been avoided. It wouldn't do to have Harry think in an ill manner of the entire Weasly family just because of that actions and words of her dimwitted youngest son. He was, after all, going to the future husband of her beautiful, obedient and perfect daughter, Ginny. After six consecutive sons, Molly had been almost convinced that choosing Arthur Weasly as her husband and slipping him a mild love potion to ensure that outcome had been a mistake, but with the birth of Ginevra, she had been finally pacified.

Male children were useful to spread the influence outside of the family and bring riches and prestige from their actions, but it was the female ones that could truly help in upping the stand of a family. And in the case of Molly's family, she felt that they needed a desperate increase after what she had, without meaning to do so, done with their limited economical resources, wanting to live more comfortably than she had realized she could. It had been a mistake on her part, and while Arthur could've have shown more ambitiousness what with wanting to keep his job as the, she knew that it wasn't his fault.

In any case, with Ginny's birth an opportunity opened itself and she seized it with the claw of a lioness when she hunted for her cubs. After all, despite what her actions might point too, everything she did was for her children. Her actions might be selfish and manipulative, but in the end, if everything worked out well, ad she was sure it would since she was allied with Albus Dumbledore, her children and the children after them will have a better life than the one she did. That was all that mattered.

It was the reason why she had approached Dumbledore after Ginny's birth. He was the best chance her family had to reach the prestige and wealth she wanted for it. He was the Magical Guardian of Harry Potter and the mastermind behind the future rise of the Light to prominence in Magical Britain. Molly snorted as she thought about the other members of the Light Faction. There were nothing more than wolves clothed in sheep's fur. They weren't as firm allied as with Dumbledore as she was. She knew that when the Dark finally fell, something that begun with You-Know-Who's incapacitation, the other supposedly Light families, and those blasted 'Neutrals', will come to regret not choosing their side from the beginning.

Dumbledore had assured her that You-Know-Who wasn't truly dead and that Harry Potter will have a prominent role in truly getting rid of the Dark Lord, and that sadly he was likely to die because of that role he needed to play. Because of this, and knowing the laws of Magical Britain, Molly had proposed to possibly get Ginny and Harry married before he died. Dumbledore had accepted easily, seeing it as a way to ensure that Harry was firmly in the Light side of the conflict. They have even drafted a Marriage Contract between them. It only needed to the signature of the Lord of House Potter to be effective, which she was sure they were going to get easily enough because by the time Harry became Lord Potter, he and Ginny would be deeply in love with each other.

When Harry Potter died to ensure the permanent downfall of Voldemort, his substantial fortune would of course befall on Ginny's hands, as his widow. It was a better future for the Potter Fortune than having the disgusting and barbaric Goblins seize them for themselves, after all.

She had even started the process. The sweater she had sent him was dosed with very mild potion keyed to Ginny that would make Harry interested in her, and that was only the beginning. The love and loyalty potions should start when he turned either thirteen or fourteen, depending on when he started to notice girl. It was the reason why she needed him to be friends with Ron, so she could have an easier access to him.

And the process had even started even earlier with Ginny. Molly had made sure Ginny grew up reading and hearing stories about The-Boy-Who-Lived and his accomplishments after he defeated You-Know-Who as a baby. Gilderoy Lockhart might have been somehow ousted as a fraud, but Ginny didn't need to know that, because as far as she was aware, Harry Potter was a hero and the one she was going to marry, which Molly herself had promised her daughter would happen. She was still too young to learn the finest arts of ensnaring the man she wanted, but Molly was sure that in the future Ginny herself would ask her to teach her so she could use those tactics on Harry Potter.

Molly smiled in triumph. The game was afloat and now it was only a matter of time before the game ended, with her and her family being one of the winners.

"Wake up you lazy lot! It's Christmas! There is food to be eaten and gifts to be opened! Hurry, hurry!"

 **XXXXXXXXXX**

Dumbledore had a pleased smile on his face as he got the confirmation that Harry was now the owner and master of the Cloak of Invisibility, the second most impressive of the Deathly Hallows. The first one was, of course, the Resurrection Stone, with its ability to bring back the spirits of those known to the master of it that had died. The Elder Wand, of which Dumbledore was the current master, was admittedly the least impressive of the Hallows, what with it being only able to make the focusing and channeling of magic easier than even with the wand that firs bonded to a wizard and giving spells, or any magical action performed with it, more power.

It had been relatively easy to acquire the Cloak. James Potter had foolish lost it after somehow using it as a distraction of al bloody things to get him and his partners out of a Death Eater ambush a few months before he and Lily had been forced to go into hiding because of the Prophecy. The Deathly Hallows had a connection between them, and with his mastery of one it had been easy to find it in the ruins of that muggle town after the Death Eaters were done with it.

It had taken him almost a decade but he had managed to put tracking charms on it that didn't interfere with the more… mystical and godly charms and runes that it had. The Cloak was made by Death itself, so it was no surprise that the precious hallow had charms and runes imbedded into it that Dumbledore doubted that even the founders themselves would've been able to analyze and understand. It had the ability to hide one from Death itself after all. Dumbledore had been tempted to keep it for himself, but he had no need for it. Only the Elder Wand and the Resurrection Stone were of any interest to him. The Elder Wand because of the increase in magical power and versatility it gave its master and the Resurrection Stone, which he had yet to find, because of the chance it could give him to talk with Arianna and ask for forgiveness.

Dumbledore knew that Harry having the Cloak would prove more useful than if he kept it. He knew that Harry would recognize his handwriting and realize that it was him who had given him the Cloak, a family heirloom that belonged to his father, back. That could be used to start building a bridge of trust and gratefulness between them, hopefully. With the tracking charms, Dumbledore would be aware of where Harry would be whenever he was wearing it. He could use that to make Harry believe that the Cloak was less than what it really was. The only ones that would recognize the Cloak and its true potential were dead or indisposed, he had made sure of that himself. Not directly, of course. His hands would only be tainted by Arianna's blood and Voldemort's when his time to kill him finally came.

Having Harry out of the castle turned out to be a blessing in disguise, rather than a setback. While it would have been useful to get a glimpse of Harry's true nature with the Mirror of Erised, ensuring a confrontation between him and Tom, who was sharing a body with Professor Quirrell, was paramount. With only Severus and a few others from the staff and a few students, he had managed to arrange a few things to make sure that Harry became interested in what was hidden in the Third Floor Corridor.

Thankfully, Hagrid was only a half-giant, otherwise compulsion charms wouldn't work on him.

 **XXXXXXXXXX**

Two days after New Year's Eve Harry made sure that his entire body was covered with his invisibility cloak, still incredulous about what it could do. He was completely undetectable while he was under it. Well, not really, since an observant person could see his outline if rain was falling over him while he was wearing the cloak or his footprints should he walk on a surface that allowed for them to be seen, like snow, sand or grass, but those were too specific circumstances to matter that much. And besides, witches and wizards were generally too daft to pay attention to such details.

The only other downside of the cloak was that for some reason Aura become extremely annoyed with him whenever he used it. Harry supposed was that because it even prevented her from finding him through their magical connection, which was slowly forming and strengthening between them. According to Augusta, a Familiar Bond was starting form between them and Harry was excited. Familiar Bonds were very unpredictable but if there was something that was known about them was that the bonded animal would gain minor magical abilities even if it wasn't an animal with inherent magic in it. Harry was excited to see what Aura would be capable of doing after their bond formed.

On that note, the thought of coming back from his hopefully short trip made him wince. Aura was not going to be pleased by the amount of time he was going to stay beneath the coverage of the cloak. Thankfully, Aura had somehow managed to bully Lopsy into always having bacon ready for her. Gluttony was apparently another capital sin that Harry had to ad to Aura's faults, right next to Pride, but Harry believed that Aura was sure she was entitled to them and that in her eyes, those were not faults.

Like Augusta had claimed, while under the cloak he couldn't be detected by sound or scent nor any other magical detection method. Not even the Homenum Revelio, a useful spell that he was going to try and learn in the not so distant future. He remembered the incantation and the wand motions from when Augusta had performed it in order to confirm that the cloak was indeed the one his father had owned and was an heirloom of the Potter family.

Harry still wasn't completely sure how Headmaster Dumbledore had gotten his hand on it and why he had waited so long to give it to him, but he doubted his reasons were benevolent and he was sure that he at the least intended to keep track of him when he used what with the tracking charms Sharpclaw had found in it when he inspected it.

"As a goblin, I am more in tune with magic than humans and the charms and runes that were used on this invisibility cloak are nothing like the ones I've seen in other invisibility cloaks," he had said to him after he had come to Longbottom Manor to inspect it, having understood Harry's hesitance to go out with a cloak that was given to him by an old man that had already proven to not have the best of intentions regarding him. It had not been for free, of course. "Still, I can see a few complex tracking charms on the cloth that are not supposed to be there. Removing them should be easy enough."

"Wait," he had said, a plan forming on his head. "I know charms can be transferred from one object to another. Can you do that?"

Sharpclaw, unsurprisingly, had grinned greedily. "For a price, of course."

Harry had not been surprised. "Do it. Take your fee from the Heir Account. I will get the clothes I want the charms to be transferred over. I will still have to be wearing the invisibility cloak to tip off Headmaster Dumbledore on the fact that I know about the charms, but that way I can control what he knows about where I'm going while using the cloak."

Sharpclaw had only grinned. A very nasty and bloodthirsty one, it had been.

For this trip, Harry was not wearing the shirt that now had the tracking charms that used to be on the cloak. While he was sure that by now Dumbledore knew that he knew about his heritage, that was still very far from taking steps to return the House of Potter to its previous prominence and restoring Godric's Hollow and Potter Manor and ensuring that they were as protected as he could make them.

Harry walked out of Longbottom Manor without anyone, not even the house elf knowing about it thanks to him being covered with the invisibility cloak. The less people that knew about what he was going to do before he did it, the better. Since Longbottom Manor was located in a small magical community that had apparition wards around it, Harry had to walk outside the town's limit before he could teleport. He knew that his own method of transportation was different from apparition, and he was not about to test if he could go through apparition wards with it at the moment. He was going to have the opportunity in the very near future, after all.

Harry paused for a moment and he turned towards Bally, who was innocently standing there. Harry knew that if it weren't for his invisibility cloak, the snowman would've reigned snowball hell on him because he was less than fifteen feet away from him. His brow furrowed. He and his friend had built him exactly eleven days ago, and there hadn't been a need to re-enchant it, contrary to what Harry would've expected considering that his mastery of the animation charm and the strength of his own magic was not enough to keep an unanchored enchantment going for that long. He would need to speak with Professor Flitwick about it.

Walking through the smallish town and mentally thanking Daphne for her advanced book on charms, which allowed him to learn the feather-light charm after curiosity got the better of him and he read the first few pages. He used the charm on his shoes and somehow it prevented them leaving footprints on the snow-covered path as he walked towards the outer edge of the community. He was going to read more on the charm to have a better understanding of it and its mechanics. Harry didn't like not understanding the why behind how things worked.

Harry finally reached the edge and after a few more steps he was surprised when he felt the magic of the wards somehow through the cloak that was covering him. He knew that the cloak was resistant to spells and that it could be used as a shield against some of them, but he had not been aware that it could be used to sense magic that came in direct contact with it along with the intent of said magic. That demanded further study of the cloak and he made a mental note for the future.

Now sure that he was outside of the reach of the wards, Harry pictured the image of the now restored Godric's Hollow in his head that had been provided to him by Sharpclaw. He was the only one other than McGonagall that knew about his ability to teleport. It had become a necessity to tell him when the issue of him going to Godric's Hollow as discreetly as possible had come up. Still, Sharpclaw was trustworthy and Harry was sure that his secret was safe with him. Harry had no illusions why the fee he had to pay to put the wards around Potter Manor and Godric's Hollow had gone up by two galleons, though.

When Harry had the image clear in his head, he teleported, the cloak masking the action from anyone that might have seen it.

Harry appeared, still invisible, a few long yards away from the entrance to the town and he was glad that he had not come here while it had been in ruins. From what he could see from where he was, the town was magnificent and it would've been despairing at the very least to see such a place defiled and destroyed. Even now Harry decided that preventing the Ministry from seizing it to make it a monument had been a good idea, despite the amount of galleons that it had cost.

After observing what he could of the town from where he was, Harry finally noticed the presence of two more people that were patiently standing closer to the entrance. One of them he easily recognized as Sharpclaw. The other one was a human male with brown hair and dark eyes and wearing the formal robes of a Gringotts employee. He was fairly inconspicuous and Harry was sure that he would lose him in a crowd easily.

"Trollslayer!" Called out Sharpclaw the moment Harry shrugged off his cloak. He winced. Sharpclaw liked to call him by his newfound title because to him it was a demonstration the respect he had for Harry's fighting abilities, which were held in very high esteem between goblins. Only your ability to acquire gold was viewed in a higher esteem. "Just before the time we have accorded! Excellent! Be known to Robert Robinson Jr. He was the one in charge of warding the manor and the town. Also, he will be the one to cast the final spell around the manor. He is already under contract to not reveal anything about Gringotts' business, so you needn't worry about that aspect."

"Good morning to both of you," replied Harry as he nodded at him, folding the cloak and letting it rest over his left shoulder. He bowed in Sharpclaw direction when he approached, an action that was mirrored by the goblin and he extended his hand Robert's. "A pleasure to meet you, Mister Robinson. I trust that everything is in order and the only thing left is the manor."

Robert shook Harry's hand firmly and nodded. "The pleasure is mine, Heir Potter. The anti-apparition, anti-portkey and anti-floo wards have already been established around the perimeter of the town, encompassing a few dozen yards away from the edges in every direction. I have also inspected the wards on Potter Manor and they are all in working order and you should be given control of them the moment you claim Lordship."

Harry grimaced as they began to walk into the town. "That's going to be a bit inconvenient. I plan to have friends over to help me with the furnishing and the décor over the summer next summer holidays. If I don't have control of the wards in Potter Manor they won't be able to floo directly into the manor. I guess we are going to have to use one of the other houses that have a floo connected to the main network to get them here since I will have control of the wards around the town."

Robert nodded. "Indeed."

Sharpclaw chuckled. "You were already aware of that, Trollslayer. Still, that's only a minor and temporary inconvenience that was easily overcame, without compromising security, by the use of wards around the entire town. Thankfully you were sensible enough to listen to my counsel," he said before he quickened his pace. "Let's make haste. Time is gold and I don't to waste any. That would be mighty sacrilege, after all."

After that, Harry barely had time to take in the sights of the many cottages and buildings that flanked the main road of Godric's Hollow. He quickly found himself in front of the biggest building structure that there was on the small town. It overlooked the cozy, though at the moment completely deserted, village from a smallish hill. The manor was surrounded by stone walls that had dark green bushes slightly covered in snow. It seemed like it hadn't snowed as much in West Country.

A metal door opened itself to allow them to make their way inside the limits of the manor. The followed a straight stone path flanked by neatly cut grass also with light layer of melting snow over it, giving the grass a beautiful shine. The manor itself was a five floor rectangular building made of bricks and dark stones. There were many windows of different sizes and designs on all the floors and the main door stood in the middle of it all, made of a rich mahogany and possessing a golden doorknob and a peaking hole.

"The runestones and the runic perimeter for the Fidelius have already been laid out. We only need to cast it from the center of the manor," said Robert as Harry opened the door gently and he allowed Snapfist to enter first before he did the same. He closed the door behind him. "If you could please follow me," said Robert as he pulled his wand out and waved it around in many intricate patterns.

After he was finished, Harry saw many rune lines appearing all over the house and he whistled, impressed, wondering the amount of time it must have taken to set them up. When Sharpclaw had recommended to add the Fidelius he had been a bit skeptical about paying five hundred galleons for the extra security measure, but he had been assured that it was extremely worth it. Since Harry was going to be the Secret Keeper, he would be in control of those that were aware of the existence of the manor and only he would be able to divulge it further.

With Dumbledore, easily the most powerful wizard alive, having an unhealthy and possibly nefarious interest on him, Harry finally decided that the security measure was perhaps necessary. And the Fidelius would allow him to use magic during the Holidays through his wand, so it had not been the difficult to convince him. Harry was sure Ssharpclaw just wanted even more galleons, though he supposed that the continued existence of the Heir of the vaults he managed, which allowed him to make even more money, was also of importance to him. Greedy little shite.

Robert pointed at a runic circle that was in the middle of the bare living room of the manor. "If you could stand there, Heir Potter. The moment I start casting the Fidelius you will be unable to move so I suggest you don't panic since it is a part of the process. You will feel the ambient magic swirling around you and you will know the casting will be done when magic stops swirling around you and the runes disappear. Since the spell only uses a wizard's magic to activate the runes, there is no need for us to be here to see the completion of the spell and be overwhelmed by the nothingness of not knowing the secret and standing within a space protected by a Fidelius. I suspect, however, that you might want to disclose the secret to Lord Bloodspiller at your earliest convenience."

Harry nodded in understanding and confirmation and he quickly went to stand in the middle of the circle. He saw the faintly glowing runes start glowing brighter as he took his place. He turned towards his two companions and he saw Snapfist give him a nod and a bow before he began to walk away. Robert raised his wand and pressed it against a rune that looked like a filled circle surrounded by a non-filled one.

" _Fidelis Oculum!"_

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

I'm sorry for the delay but I've been having a lot of issues with my internet connection. Enough that it isn't question of if, but when I'm changing my provider. I was supposed to upload this short, interlude chapter four days ago but I couldn't because of the connection issues. If the issues continue, I doubt I will be able to live up to my promise of at least finishing second year, but let's cross our fingers and prat to Odin All-Father to provide me with what we all need.

Anyone caught the reference in the snowman building scene? If you did, you only need to love muffins as much as I do and I will consider you my best friend and one of my generals when inevitable take over the world with my charming personality.

Curiously enough, the most difficult part about writing this chapter was figuring out the Christmas presents. It took me two days to write that scene, ugh.

Ah, the Cloak of Invisibility. Yes, I overpowered it. Why? Because it doesn't make sense that a Cloak made by Death itself, capable of hiding anyone from it, could be bypassed by more earthly methods of detection, like Moody's magical eye or the Human-presence-revealing spell. The cloak still has its weakness, because there are just some rules that cannot be broken by the power of the cloak, but I am not afraid that Harry owning the cloak is a supreme game changer.

Ah, Molly Weasly, you poor, poor woman. And poor Ginny too.

Some people have been complaining about my portrayal of Dumbledore and Snape. The only reason you feel that his actions are obvious, is because I'm showing you their POVs. Did you notice that nobody has yet to find out about their true intentions? To those that have been nitpicking something to complain about my story, I recommend you pay more attention to the overall chapter, not only what you want to see.

A bit of foreshadowing in the last scene and establishing a few more obvious plot points for future chapters. And yes, the Fidelius. I didn't want to wait for something that will inevitably happen in the future, what with Harry and his paranoia about Dumbledore, so it was better to get it out of the way later so I could focus on other things.

I guess that's all. Depending on how next chapter develops we might have one or two to finish up first year. I think you will like how is going to develop.

Also, I appreciate you giving me ideas to include in my story, but I would appreciate it more if you limited yourself to do so through the reviewing section only. You can send me a PM whenever you want (I haven't been able to answer to them because of my issues with my internet) but I would prefer it if you asked me things about what is already posted.

I believe that's all.

PD: I will declare my birthday, April 25th, International Muffin Day when I take over world. It's only fair and logical, after all.


	7. Dangers of Going Back To School

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Harry Potter. It belongs to J. K. Rowling, Warner Bros and Bloomsbury. I only own the original plot ideas and concepts that I implement in this piece of fiction to make it a bit more original and entertaining. Make sure to read the A/N at the end of every chapter to catch any news about the story. Enjoy!

A few pointers before we start the chapter.

 **AU:** Magical cores are a thing. Not everyone has the same magical potential. Wizards and witches can tap into the ambient magic for the most powerful rituals and spells, but it is extremely difficult and very few can do it.

 **AU:** There are ancient and noble houses. The Sacred Twenty-Eight are such houses. House Malfoy is not one of the Sacred Twenty-Eight since they are originally from France, and the Sacred Twenty-Eight refer to the founding _British_ families of Magical Britain. The Potters, however, are a member of the Sacred Twenty-Eight, since their ancestry can be traced back to the Peverell Family, who were one of the many that led the foundation of Magical Britain.

 **AU:** Britain's Wizard/Witches Population is slightly over than 20,000, instead of just a few thousand.

 **AU:** Godric's Hollow belonged solely to the House of Potter and its where their main manor was located. It was abandoned after Death Eaters mostly destroyed it.

I believe that's all for now. If you are not put off by the summary nor by what I established above this final message, then I truly hope you enjoy the story.

* * *

 **Dangers of Going Back to School**

* * *

On the way back to Hogwarts, Harry and Neville decided to ride with Hermione, Daphne, Tracey and Blaise. Normally, Neville at least would have accompanied Susan and Hannah, but they had arrived earlier and their compartment was with a few of their other friends by the time Harry and Neville arrived. It suited the two boys well in any case. They had seen Susan and Hannah basically every other day, so this was a perfect opportunity to catch up personally with them.

All the members exchanged at least two letters with one another during the holidays, but that would never compare with speaking face to face with those you considered your friends.

"So… I heard about a certain snowman…"

Harry beamed at Hermione, who was pouting at him and her arms were crossed petulantly. "Oh, yes. Bally. Ignore the name, would you kindly? Anyways, yes, I made a snowman and enchanted it to throw snowballs at anyone that got nearer than fifteen feet from him. It was brilliant!"

Daphne glared frostily at him, crossing her own arms. "And it didn't occur to you the Hermione and I would've wanted to perhaps cooperate with its construction, hm?" Harry noticed that she was wearing the scarf he had sent to her, its colors matching the green, silver and black of her uniform perfectly.

Harry faltered for a second. "Um, you both said you would be busy with travelling and family business during the entire holidays. Otherwise I would've invited you."

Daphne's lips twitched almost imperceptibly as she pinned Harry in place with her glare. "That's beside the point, Potter."

Harry cringed and replied weakly. "Didn't you like your gift?"

Daphne lost the frosty look and a thin smile appeared on her face. "I did," she said softly and with some warmth to her tone as her fingers trailed the shimmering cloth of her new favorite article of clothing, not like anyone was going to know that ever. The icy expression was back faster than Harry could anticipate, however, just when he was about give sigh of relief. "The blatant bribery to overlook it I could've done without, however."

Harry visibly deflated on his seat.

Neville snickered, patting Harry consolingly on the shoulder.

"I also liked your gift, Harry," said Hermione after she finished pouting and raising the book that she had on her lap, showing that it was one of the ones Harry had gifted her. "But I expect you to include me any future project of yours," she said primly before she returned to her book.

"But…" once again Harry opened his mouth to point out that they wouldn't have been able to come whether he had invited them or not, but he closed his mouth and sighed in defeat. "Okay."

Tracey smirked openly while Blaise's lips twitched upwards in amusement.

From then on conversation flowed freely and easily, exchanging tales of what they did during the break. Coincidentally enough, the four of them had spent most of her time meeting relatives and visiting her closest family members. The only difference was that while Daphne, Tracey and Hermione had stayed in Britain, Blaise had gone to Italy via portkey. When asked why he didn't go to Italy's magical school, Blaise replied that Hogwarts was the best in Europe and that his mother could easily afford it so there was no reason not to come to Hogwarts.

After they caught up with one another, they settled for chatting about nonsensical things in the case of Tracey, Blaise and Neville, while Hermione, Daphne and Harry begun to talk about the organization of the DC (Defense Club), the material they had yet to cover, the extra and advanced one they were going to cover and everything else that pertained to its organization. It was an enjoyable ride and nobody interrupted them.

When they arrived at the Hogsmeade station they had to take the boats again, since the carriages were always for the second years and up because there was only enough of those for them. They got into the boat and Harry was surprised to see that Daphne had joined him, Neville and Hermione. Normally she would had stayed with her dormmates but by the inquisitive and accusing look on her face that she was directing him, it seemed like there was something she wanted to tell me.

"Why didn't you tell about what you were doing as Heir Potter?"

Neville paled.

Hermione was confused.

Harry raised an eyebrow, not really surprised. He shrugged after a second. "It never came up in conversation and I didn't want you to think that I was approaching you just because your are the Heiress Greengrass," he answered easily. It was the truth. He didn't want her to know that he had initially approached her with those intentions. He genuinely liked Daphne, so there was no need for her to even think that.

Daphne raised an eyebrow. "If I had known the step you have already taken regarding House Potter's economical, and by proxy, political and social standing, I would have been more suspicious of your intentions. Not that I doubt what they were in the first place," she said and she smiled knowingly when he twitched slightly. "It doesn't matter now. I consider you a true friend and I know you do the same pertaining me. But, from now on, let's try to keep the other up to date with important things like this, yes?"

Harry immediately saw the sincerity of her words and the fact that she didn't think less of him despite knowing the real reason why he had approached her in the first place and he visibly sighed in relief and smiled at her with a nod. "Of course, Daphne." He would've mentioned the Occlumency book she had given him as a present but he knew that such things couldn't be spoken about as lightly. He would thank her later when there were only the two of them.

Neville also sighed in relief, though his was a tad more exaggerated.

Then there was a cough and the turned towards Hermione who, to their amusement, had her hand raised above her head and was biting her lower lip in that cute way of hers whenever she didn't understand a concept right away.

"Um, Heir Potter and House Potter? Heiress Greengrass? I know Magical Britain is around the Victorian period in general but those sound awfully like medieval concepts. Can someone explain me what's going on?"

The rest of their final trek to Hogwarts Castle was spent explaining to Hermione the concept of Noble and Ancient Houses, just how important they were to their society, how Daphne, Harry and Neville (And others) fit into their roles as Heir and what was expected of them. Harry also explained to her what he had been doing as Heir of House Potter but he didn't share his suspicions about Dumbledore. Hermione was not protected like he or the others that knew about them so until he was sure that Hermione was not going to get her mind invaded or he finally found what Dumbledore's game was, he was not going to tell her.

 **XXXXXXXXXX**

"Professor Flitwick, may I borrow a few moments of your time? I have a few questions," said Harry after their first class of the second half of the term ended. They had just finished revising the charms they had learned in the first half, so Professor Flitwick was now sure that the majority were ready to learn new charms, and no matter how many times Harry performed the animation charm, he was no closer to finding out why to this day the charm was still working on Bally.

Filius smiled. "Of course, Mister Potter. Whatever your questions are, I am ready to answer them to the best of my ability," he replied excitedly as he beamed up at Harry. The boy had as much talent and potential for charm as his mother and if Minerva was to be believed, which he was sure she was, the same could be said about the talent and potential he inherited from his father. The boy was brilliant, of that was no doubt.

Harry nodded gratefully. "Thank you, Professor. You see, my friends and I built a snowman during the holidays and I used an animation charm with seven commandments on it to make it throw snowballs at people that got too close to it. The thing is that I expected to have to redo the charm in three or four days, since I didn't use a rune to anchor it more permanently to the snowman, but that didn't happen. I performed the charm three days before Christmas and it was still active the day I came back to Hogwarts. I want to know why that happened."

Filius grinned. "Oh! I see, I see. That's quite the feat, Mister Potter. I would've awarded you House Points but regrettable that happened outside of Hogwarts, so that's not possible," he said with fake disappointment, getting a chuckle from Harry. "The answer to your question is quite simple, Mister Potter, and I am sure that you would've have been able to answer it yourself had you been in your third year and taking Arithmancy as one of your electives."

Harry raised an eyebrow. "Arithmancy? I thought that only the strength of the magic and intent of the wizard that performed the enchantment affected the duration and effectiveness of the charm used. It was the reason why I was expecting it to last four days at the most."

Filius nodded, obviously pleased. "That's indeed the case, Mister Potter. But there are many other factors that other than those that interfere with the duration of a charm. You yourself mentioned anchoring runes, but that is an external factor. Another one of that nature would be if the charm was also performed used ambient magic, instead of only using the power of your magical core. However, the reason behind the effectiveness behind your animation charm solely recalls on the power of your magic and the number of directives you used while performing the charm."

As Harry frowned thoughtfully, Filius chuckled and continued. "Something that I noticed, Mister Potter, is that you are exceptionally powerful. I daresay that your magical power surpasses even my own currently. Your _Lumos_ is brighter than any I have ever produced. Because of this, I can tell your estimation as to the amount of time your animation charm would've lasted was very accurate, since my own charms when not anchored tend to last that amount of time. However, since you used seven directives while performing the charm, the strength and effectiveness of the charm was exponentially multiplied, as seven is the most powerful number magically."

After a few seconds, Harry nodded in understanding. "That means that had I used six or eight or any other number of directives then the charm would've lasted the estimated amount of time then."

Filius nodded. "Yes, though had you used three then the amount of time would've also increased, though not by much. While seven is magically the most powerful number, three is the most versatile and useful. It's easier to use and mix a lot of threes than a lot of sevens. If you want to know more about the importance of numbers in the practice of magic, I recommend you take Arithmancy as an elective in your third year. That can only help with your spell work in general, as you can see."

Harry nodded in agreement. "Will do. Thank you for your time, Professor."

Filius grinned, showing sharp teeth. "Anytime, Mister Potter. Anytime."

And Harry left the classroom, now surer than ever that he was going to choose Arithmancy and Ancient Runes for his electives. The Fidelius Charm, the most impressive work of magic he had seen and experienced so far, used runes for his casting and now he had just found out how numbers affected practically everything. That also meant that he was going to acquire books on the basic of those subjects as soon as possible because there was no such thing as too much knowledge after all.

 **XXXXXXXXXX**

As annoyed and frustrated as it made him, Dumbledore couldn't help but tip his hat towards Harry Potter in respect. He no longer suspected that Harry was aware of his position as Heir Potter. He was sure of it. The bit that annoyed him and frustrated him was that apparently, he had become aware of it before arriving at Hogwarts, not during his stay since he had originally suspected that the other Heirs he befriended would tell him. The fact that the many business the Potter family had were now functioning after almost a decade of being dormant could only point to that effect.

There was also the lingering sensation of having forgotten something, and as a master of the mind arts, both offensive and defensive, Dumbledore knew that it was impossible for him to forget something, which implied the use of the Fidelius Charm on something that he knew. Sadly, that was the only thing he could infer, since the Fidelius hid under the secret everything directly involved with what the main secret was hiding.

The true reason behind his annoyance, however, was the fact that Minerva was even willing to lie to him in order to help Harry have an 'easier and more fulfilling' life, and that didn't surprise him. She had been extremely close to James and Lily and he admitted that should've seen something like that coming, but apparently, he had overlooked it due to his old age and the believe that Minerva was so loyal to him that she wouldn't question, much less defy, his instructions.

Still, the plan was doable and he could use this new development to his advantage. He would tell Molly that it had been his idea to let Harry increase the riches of House Potter. That would let him secure her loyalty even more, since she was going to think he allowed it in the first place to reward her for her loyalty for all those years. The Weasly were going to inherit the Potter fortune, after all. He just hoped that Molly had done her part, and knowing her ambitiousness and cunning, he was sure she had.

Regardless, it was time to put in motion the events that would lead Harry into having his first confrontation with Tom. Severus had confirmed that Tom had provided Hagrid with a dragon egg in order to get answers about how to get pass Fluffy, Hagrid's Cerberus. That meant that Tom knew how to get pass four of the seven obstacles he had some of the teachers design to 'protect' the Philospher's Stone from him.

A Cerberus, provided by Hagrid.

Devil's Snare, provided by Professor Sprout.

A Quidditch inspired game with enchanted keys, provided by Professor Flitwick.

A transfigured set of Wizarding Chess, provided by Professor McGonagall.

Two mountain trolls, provided by Tom himself.

A test of logic using potions, provided by Severus.

And finally, his own obstacle, the modified Mirror of Erised, which would only give the Philosopher's Stone to those that wished to find it but not to use it. It was the perfect defense against Tom, because he had possessed poor Quirinus and now they were both now one and the same, even if Quirinus personality could come out whenever Tom needed to appear in public. Because of that, Tom would never be able to acquire the Stone.

In any case, he was disappointed that the only thing he had planned that had come to pass was for Harry to befriend Miss Granger, an extremely intelligent muggleborn that had the utmost respect for authorities. Everything else failed, but Dumbledore supposed that it couldn't be helped because plans rarely survived contact with the 'enemy'. So, it was time to adapt and give good Hagrid a visit.

 **XXXXXXXXXX**

"Hagrid wants to see you?"

"Yes," Harry nodded as he, Hermione, Daphne and Susan stayed behind in the classroom they used for the DC meetings to rearrange everything back to how it was before they used it. Thankfully, there was no need to repair anything since they had been practicing the Full Body-Bind Curse, meaning that they had been using it, and its Counter-Curse obviously, between each other to get the hang of it. "The letter I received through Aura was from him. He wants to see me tonight."

"Do you have any idea why?" Asked Susan distractedly as she focused on floating a desktop back into its proper place, her wand steady and her eyes focused on relatively heavy object she was moving using her magic and intent.

"Not even the faintest," replied Harry as he arranged some chairs. "All I know is that its urgent and that I have to go along because apparently he can get in trouble if a lot of people find out about what he wants to show me." And wasn't that suspicious? He and his friends, mostly Susan, Hermione and/or Neville had met with Hagrid a few times during the first half of the term and even though he had showed him things of questionable precedence and legality, he had never insisted on Harry going alone.

And if that wasn't enough, Hagrid had suggested Harry to use the invisibility cloak to not get caught and that had alarm bells ringing in Harry's head. The only ones that knew about the cloak were Dumbledore, Snapfist, Augusta, Neville and himself, and of those, only Dumbledore would have told Hagrid about the cloak. That meant that whatever was happening was because Dumbledore wanted it to happen.

That meant that Harry had to use the clothes to which Snapfist had transferred the tracking charms that had been in the cloak, as doing otherwise would tip Dumbledore that he was onto him. And there was no way in hell that Harry was going to pass the opportunity to increase his chances on just what Dumbledore wanted and this was exactly that.

Because of the location of the classroom, Harry and Hermione had to take a different path to go to their common room than the one that Susan and Daphne had to take, so the bid each other goodbye after they finished cleaning their classroom. Harry and Hermione chatted amicably as they made their way towards their common room and there they killed time waiting for dinner time advancing on a few of their homework and projects.

When it was time to go down for dinner, Harry showered and put on the clothes that had the tracking charms and put the invisibility cloak on his mokeskin pouch. He knew that Dumbledore was intelligent enough to tell where it was. Harry and his friends went to the Great Hall and as was the norm now, they sat all together in one of the tables, Hufflepuff this time. From there, Harry managed to catch the glance Dumbledore discreetly sent his pouch.

Harry nodded to himself and continued chatting with his friends.

They stayed in the Great Hall until it was almost time for curfew and on their way back to the tower Harry told his dormmates, when they were conveniently passing a bathroom, that he really needed to go and that they didn't need to wait for him. Harry ignored Hermione's knowing look. After a few minutes, Harry donned the invisibility cloak and made his way towards Harry's hut, avoiding other students and a few of the teachers as they made their way through the castle.

Eventually, Harry reached Hagrid's Hut and he knocked on the door, his hand coming out of the wide and long sleeve of the cloak and looking like there was a floating hand knocking on the door. Harry made sure that his entire body was covered by the cloak. A few seconds later the door was opened and Harry's eyes widened at both the high amount of warmth coming from Hagrid's home and the _bloody crossbow_ the half-giant was pointing just above where Harry's head was.

"Whose there?!" He bellowed, eyes suspicious as he scanned the grounds for the one that had knocked on his door.

Harry pulled back the hood of the cloak. "It's me, Hagrid," he said, flinching slightly when Hagrid automatically pointed the crossbow at his head, which was the only thing visible because the rest was covered by the cloak. "Um, you invited me over, remember?"

Hagrid blinked. "Harry?" He then smiled widely, putting his crossbow aside and ignoring Harry's sigh of relief. "Harry! Come inside, quickly!" He quickly ushered Harry in and he gave the grounds another suspicious look before he closed the door.

Fang barked from his spot on the couch.

Harry smiled at the gigantic dog as he pulled off the invisibility cloak, chuckling when the dog was startled at the rest of his body appearing seemingly out of nowhere. "Hello to you too, Fang," said Harry before folding the cloak and putting it on his mokeskin poach for the moment. He looked around Hagrid's humble abode and noticed the extreme number of candles all over the place and that the flame of the fireplace was so high that it was completely covering the pot that was there, but not enough that it obscured what was in the pot. "Um, Hagrid?"

"Yes, Harry?"

"Is that some kind of magical ostrich egg on the pot, right?"

Hagrid laughed merrily. "Of course not, Harry. Don't be silly. There are no such thing as magical ostriches… though I wonder… hm, there's an idea. Anyways, that is a dragon egg! That was what I wanted to show you."

Harry nodded his head almost shakily. "Yeah, I was afraid of that being the case," muttered Harry before sighing and doing his best to calm down. He turned towards Hagrid who was putting a set of gigantic heat-roof gloves on his hand. "You do know that hatching a dragon outside of a reserve and without a license is illegal, right?"

Hagrid nodded. "Of course, I know. That is way I didn't want your friends to find out. I know they are trustworthy but you know that the less people know a secret, the higher the chance of it not getting out," he said as he picked up a giant pincer thing that even he had to use both hands to maneuver.

"I… understand that," said Harry slowly, watching as Hagrid used the tool to pick up the red-hot steaming egg and quickly set it on the fireproof spot he had previously prepared. "Where did you get a dragon egg in the first place?"

"I won it in a drinking contest from a man at the Leaky Cauldron just before the term started anew," said Hagrid with pride as he set aside the tool and pulled of his gloves. "I had taken me weeks to get the egg ready to hatch without dragon fire to breath on it. I had to use simple magical fire to do the job. The effects are the same but the process is so much longer," complained Hagrid with some annoyance on his voice.

"You won it in a drinking contest," deadpanned Harry as he approached the table to look at the egg, which he noticed as still as hot as it had been when Hagrid had pulled it out and its heat wasn't looking even close to diminish anytime soon.

"Aye. Me and the guy ended up so drunk that he wasn't even sad about losing the egg. We even chatted for a bit. He was very interested in acquiring a Cerberus. They make the best guard dogs, you see. I own one. Named him Fluffy."

Harry knew about Cerberus. According to Greek mythology, it was the three-headed dog guardian of the Underworld and it was supposedly the size of a two-story house. He also the knew that while in reality Cerberuses didn't guard the gates of hell, they were quite real… as in, more than one and they tended to grow so much that one of its head could swallow a man whole without issues.

"You named a Cerberus, Fluffy?" Harry asked incredulously.

Hagrid nodded happily. "Of course, he used to be a fluff ball as a puppy. He still is to be honest. I leaned him to Dumbledore so he could guard the…" Hagrid trailed off as he turned towards Harry, finally looking away from the egg so he could see the inquisitive look Harry was now giving him. "I shouldn't have said that. Forget about it."

Harry's eyes narrowed. Before Dumbledore was mentioned, Hagrid's tale had been a bizarrely lucky one but by now Harry knew that whenever Dumbledore was involved there was no such thing as coincidence and luck. The fact that Dumbledore had requested Hagrid's Cerberus to guard something must mean that whatever it was guarding must've been of extreme importance. Also, winning a dragon egg after a drinking contest from someone that just so happened to be interested in acquiring a Cerberus, when one of those was guarding whatever Dumbledore fell it necessary to guard? Yeah, right.

"What is Fluffy guarding, Hagrid?" He asked, trying and succeeding to look as innocent as possible.

Hagrid was visibly uncomfortable. "I'm sorry Harry but that's not on your business. What Fluffy is guarding is business of only Headmaster Dumbledore and Nicolas Flamel, no one else's." He suddenly paused and shook his head. "I shouldn't have said that! I shouldn't have said that!"

Harry made sure to save that piece of information for later. "It's okay, Hagrid. I won't pry further into it," said Harry with a smile and "So what did the man you won the dragon egg from asked you about Fluffy?"

Hagrid seemed more relaxed and relieved now. "Ah, yes. He was just asking about the best place to acquire them, what was the best to feed them, how to train them correctly and if they had any weaknesses."

 _Called it._ Harry's face didn't betray his thoughts. "Cerberuses have weaknesses?" He asked dubiously. Truthfully, what can be the weakness of a three-headed dog the size of a house? _Probably something stupid, I bet._

"A bit of music and it falls asleep for as long as the music is playing."

 _Called it twice. In any case, there is someone looking for something so valuable that it needs a bloody Cerberus to guard it and whatever it is, it has to do with Nicolas Flamel, a name that I find familiar, and Headmaster Dumbledore, who has an unhealthy and likely nefarious interest in me, considering that he obviously wanted me to know about it. What's left is to find out just who is Nicolas Flamel, what is the item that Fluffy is guarding and why Dumbledore wanted me to know about it._

Before Harry could ponder anymore on the situation at hand, there was a cracking sound followed by an excited exclamation from Hagrid and he turned towards the egg to see that it was being broken from the inside. Against his will, Harry's eyes widened in wonder as he saw the birth of a dragon right in front of his eyes. After a few minutes of struggle the baby dragon, a dark brown lizard with black ridges on its back with winged forelimbs and yellowish slit eyes, escaped the confines of the still shimmering hot carcass of its egg.

"A Norwegian Ridgeback! It's the breed of dragons that grows the largest and shoots flames the earliest, even larger the Hungarian. I think its fangs are venomous too," commented Hagrid in excitement as he watched the young dragon get its bearings.

Harry continued to stare at the baby dragon, its body was twice as thick as Harry's arm but about the same length and its wingspan was likely twice as that. The baby dragon shook its head for a few moments and when it finally got its wits, the winged reptile locked eyes with Harry, who suddenly got a sudden urge as his magic surged and linked itself with the baby.

 _§ Hello, little one, §_ spoke Harry in a guttural and hissing voice that was naturally threatening and made his voice sound deeper. Harry's one eyes widened as he recalled that this was the same voice that he used in the zoo to speak to the snake about a month before his Hogwarts letter arrived.

The baby dragon's eyes sharpened as suddenly they were filled with an amount of intelligence that had not been there before. _§ Greetings, Speaker. Are you, perhaps, my mother? §_ It hissed back, its tone hissing and threatening but not as guttural as Harry's had vine but more innocent. The voice was also distinctively female.

Hagrid gasped as he turned towards Harry with wide eyes full of disbelief, not a sound coming from his mouth.

Harry shook his head and he motioned towards the gaping Hagrid, chuckling in amusement. _§ I'm afraid not, little one. The one who hatched you is the one standing at my side. And considering he is a male, I think the term you should be using is father. §_

The baby dragon inclined its head. _§ You have my thanks, Speaker. §_ It then turned towards the still gaping Hagrid and launched a small fireball towards his beard, setting it on fire and making the half-giant yelp in a voice that shouldn't have come from a man so big. The baby dragon then scurried on the table and launched itself at Hagrid's midsection, from where she scaled until she was on Hagrid's back, her head looking tiny as she peaked over Hagrid's shoulder.

Hagrid finished putting out the fire on his beard and he turned towards his 'daughter' as she nuzzled his face happily and he numbly raised his hand to scratch her chin. The dragon purred in content. Hagrid turned towards Harry. "You are a parselmouth?!" His voice was more than just a little shaky.

Harry frowned in confusion, tilting his head. "A what now?"

"A parselmouth is a witch or a wizard with the ability to speak Parseltongue, the language of the serpents. Well, I though you could only speak to serpents but it seems like you can also speak to dragons. Ah! That's not important now! Harry! You-Know-Who was known to be a parselmouth! No one should know about this!" said Hagrid, his voice becoming calmer as he spoke about Parseltongue being able to be used to speak with dragons, only go become almost shouting as he spoke about the reputation of the ability.

Harry grimaced at the thought of sharing something in common with the man that killed his parents. "I understand, Hagrid. I won't tell anyone about this and I know I can trust you to not tell anyone about it too," said Harry, emphasizing the word 'anyone', though he was sure that it was likely that at least Dumbledore was going to know about this. There was nothing he could do about it, just hope that it won't come to pass, as unlikely as it was

Hagrid nodded his head seriously. "Don't worry, Harry. I won't tell anyone," he said solemnly and when the baby screeched happily, Hagrid's demeanor changed as he grew excited. "So, what did you learn about him when you two spoke to each other? I only heard hissing."

Harry couldn't help the smile that appeared on his face. "Well, first of all, he is actually a she and…"

 **XXXXXXXXXX**

"Hermione, can I ask you something?"

The bushy brown-haired witch looked up from her Potions book and regarded Harry with curiosity. "Of course, Harry, anything you want," she said, giving him his undivided attention. Hermione knew that Harry was her intellectual equal, though their intelligence differed slightly. The two of them understood everything they read at roughly the same time with the same amount of ease, Harry had an easier time applying what he read to practice, while she had an easier time recalling anything she read and not making the same mistake twice. She

Harry smiled at her in thanks. "Have you ever heard or read about Nicolas Flamel?"

Hermione's brow furrowed in concentration. "Nicolas Flamel? Hm," she said before she put to finger on her temple and concentrated for a few moments so she could recall what she had read about him and she eventually perked up. "Nicolas Flamel is a famous french alchemist that supposedly created the Philosopher's Stone, an artifact that could be used to either turn any metal into gold or to create the Elixir of Life, a substance that makes whomever drink it unable to die of old age. Oh, Headmaster Dumbledore was supposed to have learned some alchemy from him too."

 _Hm, so Fluffy is guarding the Philosopher's Stone then. That means that whomever wants it wants to be filthy rich or wants immortality and for some reason I am inclined to think that it is the latter, considering that with enough time one hands one can become rich and immortality tends to give you a lot of time to work with. It's also safe to assume that it was the Philospher's Stone that Professor McGonagall retrieved from Gringotts when we went there last year, considering that she was there on Hogwarts business and it was one of Hogwarts' Vaults that was broken in. Whomever wants it, is desperate._

"Harry?"

"Yes?"

"You spaced out there for a moment. I asked you where did you hear about Nicolas Flamel. I found out about him when I was doing some light reading in the library a few days ago."

Harry smiled and shook his head, chuckling. "Would you believe me if I told you that I read the name in Headmaster Dumbledore's Chocolate Frog card?" That was the truth, actually. Before Hagrid had mentioned the name, he had read the name during the holidays after sorting through all the sweets that were given to him during Christmas. The card had only mentioned his name, so he had needed to investigate. It was the reason why he approached Hermione first. He had expected her to point him in the right direction, not to tell him everything relevant that he needed.

Hermione deadpanned. "Really?"

Harry nodded, still amused. "Yes."

She shook her head in exasperation, huffed and went back to working on her Potions essay. It was due for next week and she was not about to leave it to do it three or two days before the day she was supposed to turn it in. That just won't do.

Harry merely chuckled and he turned to his own reading. Professor McGonagall had a very neat and elegant handwriting and the notes she had done on Transfiguration were giving him all kind of interesting ideas.

 **XXXXXXXXXX**

"Hey, Daphne," he spoke to his friend when they found themselves partially secluded from the rest of the members of the Defense Club. "I want to speak to you about one of the gifts you sent me. I believe you know of which I speak of, right?"

Daphne paused and turned away from the parchment in which she was writing and nodded at him. "I do, Harry. What is it that you need to talk about it?"

Harry rubbed his arm for a moment before shrugging with one shoulder. "Daphne, I know how… obscure… and guarded… are Occlumency learning techniques by those Houses that have managed to keep the knowledge from simply disappearing. You don't know how glad I am that you trust me enough to gift me with such a thing after just a few months of meeting each other, but I can't help myself but wonder why you did it."

Daphne stared at him for a few seconds before she responded, and Harry was shocked when she smiled at him prettily. "My father made me aware of a quite a few things that you have been up to, Harry. A few inquiries here and there were enough to get the gist of what you have been doing. That means that you are aware of your status as Heir Potter and that you are working to make the Most Ancient and Noble House of Potter the powerhouse it was before the civil war that you unassumingly ended. I know of the need to keep things like that a secret and while your Heir Ring is enough to keep you protected, there is no such thing as overdoing it when it comes to family secrets. Besides, learning Occlumency can increase your already astounding mental and magical capabilities."

Harry gaped at her for a few more moments before he chuckled and shook his head. "Then I guess the only thing I have to say is thank you. Though I have to admit that I feel that my gift to you was quite lame in comparison," he admitted ruefully.

Daphne shook her head with a bit of vehemence. "No, it wasn't, Harry. I know you did it yourself and that fact alone gives it in my eyes as much value as advanced magical theory books and the occlumency learning techniques my family has acquired. It's not what the gift is that counts, but rather the thought that was put in it. And I know you spent quite something investigating and putting thought into what to give me. I think I know you enough by now to realize that, Harry."

Harry rubbed the back of his head and his cheeks felt warm a bit due to the embarrassment Daphne's words caused in him. "Yeah, well, I guess you are right."

Daphne's smile turned into a smirk. "Of course I am," she said with some clearly faux haughtiness before her smile disappeared and she raised an eyebrow as her normally frosty expression slipped into her face. "Was there anything else you needed?"

Harry's eyebrows rose into his airline at the change before he shrugged and shook his head with an amused chuckle.

Daphne nodded at him almost curtly before she picked up her quill, submerged the point into her ink point and silently went back to work on her Potions assignment. "

 **XXXXXXXXXX**

Over the next two months only a few things of notice happened. Harry and his friends continued on learning the basics of magic, albeit at a quite the accelerated pace due to the desire of everyone to keep up with the pace set by Harry, Hermione and Daphne. It was a bit difficult for them, not because they were less intelligent or dedicated, but because the natural limitations of their cores. Thankfully, they understood that, and it helped that the three of them didn't rub it on their faces but rather helped them in any matter they needed it without complaints.

Even though he had continued to grow closer with his group of friends, Harry had not spoken with any of them about Hagrid's dragon, whom he had named Tina after a few minutes of deliberation, and much less about the Philosopher's Stone being in the castle. That was just asking for trouble. Truthfully, Harry was very willing to forget about it and leave it be. He had no further interest in it other than the theory behind its making.

At Hagrid's insistence, Harry continued to visit him and Tine two or three times a week depending how busy he was with assignments and the like, serving as a bridge for Hagrid and Tina to communicate in a smoother fashion. With his help, Hagrid had a much easier time training Tina and understanding her needs and Tina, because of the magics of Parseltongue giving her a higher level of intelligence, understood what she was being taught faster and why was she being taught that.

When she grew to be the size of Fang she had to be moved out of Harry's Hut and with the help of his invisibility cloak Harry and Hagrid managed to smuggle her out of Hagrid's house and took her to a gigantic clearing in the Forbidden Forest that gave her a lot of space to fly around. It was not easy to convince her to stay there and fly only during the night, but with her higher intelligence she understood. Besides, Tina didn't want to be separated from her mother, Hagrid, and her brother/best-friend, Harry.

Harry, not wanting to get Hagrid in trouble and having come to genuinely care for Tina, had Sharpclaw arrange a not-so-legally-attained-but-valid license for Hagrid to hatch, rise and own a dragon. When Harry gave it to him he claimed it was a belated birthday present for him. Harry's ribs still ached from the hug Hagrid, wailing like a child and grinning like a loon, had given him. Even Tina, who had also understood what Harry had done meant, attempted to hug him with her winged forearms but had settled with setting his school robes on fire in a very affectionate fashion when she realized her spikes could harm him.

The only other thing of notice that happened was that the heirs of the dark families that were on his year attempted to once again start bullying him and his friends that were either half-bloods or muggleborns. They put an immediate stop to it once again and Harry decided that the next time it happened, he was going to involve the teachers. He had not toll Professor Flitwick or Professor McGonagall of what was happening because he could deal with it and it helped his friends learn how to deal with those that would try to walk over them in the future, but it was starting to get annoying.

Another thing of note that happened was that Harry revealed the secret of Potter Manor to his friends and they all decided to come and visit him to help him decorate the place and to practice magic during the summer holidays, which they couldn't do because it was illegal for minors to perform magic outside of Hogwarts unless you had a ward powerful enough to cover the use of spells, which every pureblood out there did. Hermione had been particularly incensed about it when she learned how much purebloods were favored. She had only calmed down when Harry assured that she could come whenever she wanted to the Manor to perform magic, though Harry suspected that it was not going to be the last time he heard about the unfairness of Magical Britain. Thankfully, Harry hoped to change that one day and having someone as dedicated as Hermione at his side will make his endeavors more fructiferous.

Harry had also continued to increase his proficiency with magical telekinesis, wandless conjuring and vanishing and teleporting. His magical telekinesis had grown steadily and he could do four to five times more to what he had been capable of before coming to Hogwarts. Wandless conjuring and vanishing became easier the more he used those skills and since they were branches of transfiguration, easily his most favorite subject and the one he understood the best, he had a fun time increasing his proficiency with it. Teleporting was also becoming easier, what with the strength of his magical core steadily increasing the more he used his magic along with the many different ways he used it.

Harry was extremely happy with his progress, though he felt somewhat bad to keep it from his friends but Harry knew that for now it had to be that way. Teleporting, which was more commonly known as Apparition, was illegal for those without license, though technically Harry was not apparating since his method was different than the one that was used by wizards and witches, but he doubted that those same wizards and witches, whom he knew to be extremely close minded, would see the difference.

The only thing that put a damp to Harry's happiness caused by spending hours upon hours every day with his friends having fun, studying and practicing with magic was the fact that he had not made any advancements into discovering the identity of the individual that wanted the Philospher's Stone. There just weren't enough clues and as suspicious and shady as Professor Snape looked and acted, in matters like this the obvious answer was rarely the correct one.

Normally, Harry wouldn't bother looking into something that had the potential to be dangerous enough to put his life at risk, but the fact that Dumbledore obviously wanted him to know about it wand wanting to figure out why Dumbledore was so interested in him, and to what end, made Harry want to figure out what was happening. He was not going go out of his way to look into it but he was not about to let any opportunity to learn more about what was happening pass by him. He was just the right amount of curious. And you know what they say about curiosity…

 **XXXXXXXXXX**

Harry had an amused smile on his face as he watched Tina scramble around the clearing eagerly as she pursued rabbits the size of a sheep which he transfigured from the raw meat dressed in brandy that she preferred that he and Hagrid had brought for her. The reason why Harry was doing this was so Tina didn't lose her hunting instincts because for a natural predator like Tina, that was one of the worse things that could happen.

At the moment Hagrid was not with them. He had left Harry with Tina after he had gotten an assignment via owl. Hagrid had been vague about it but apparently there was something causing unrest in the Forbidden Forest and he was to investigate it. At first, Hagrid had urged Harry to go back to the castle but Harry had pointed out that he could defend himself from pretty much anything thanks to his wand, that he could easily escape using his Invisibility Cloak and that Tina, who was almost two times the size of Fang after almost three months passing since she was born, would defend him in a heartbeat.

Hagrid had agreed to let him stay as long as he didn't step out of the clearing. Harry had easily agreed. It was a Saturday during the late afternoon and he had already completed all of his assignment s for the next week, his daily training with his own more special abilities had been done that morning and the only book he had not yet read completely from this term was the History of Magic one. The others were al finished and by this point Harry only needed to revise them to write essays with more detail and to check upon a theory about a spell that wasn't quite working as it was supposed to.

Harry had nothing better to do and while it would be nice to spend some time with Hermione, he knew that she was currently immersed in one of the books he had given her for Christmas and getting in between her and her books was equal to wanting to commit suicide. His other friends in Ravenclaw were also busy with studying or doing their own thing. Harry wasn't going to interrupt what they were doing just because he was bored.

And he didn't know what his other friends were doing but seeing that he had not seen any of them when he had come out to spend time with Tina that likely meant that they were also busy with their schoolwork in their common rooms, which in turn meant that they didn't want anyone to interrupt what they were doing. That left Harry with the only option of playing with Tina while he waited for Hagrid to come back with Fang from his assignments.

' _Eh, it could be worse,'_ he thought to himself, grimacing as he watched with sick fascination and trepidation as Tina snatched a rabbit and almost bit it in half. She ignored the other oversized 'frightened rabbits' that were just jumping in circles around the clearing as she tore into the one she just caught with visible delight. Harry chuckled nervously. "If Hagrid saw this I doubt he would insist on Tina ever losing her more predatory instincts," he commented to himself with nervous amusement.

Harry was about to start working on the first phase of Occlumency training, which was to successfully clear his mind of any conscious thought, when Tina suddenly turned her head sharply to her left and began to snarl as she got into an aggressive position. Harry also turned in that direction, flicking his wrist as he also began to look warily in the direction from which Tina had felt something dangerous enough that she deemed more important than her favorite food.

There was a light rumble and the sound of hooves and Harry shifted nervously as he heard the steadily increasing aggressiveness and intensity of Tina's snarling and growling. Just when Harry was about to lose his wits something came out running from the edge and his eyes widened when he saw the silver unicorn that was unsteadily throttling towards them. The pure presence of the unicorn set Harry at ease almost immediately but he realized something was wrong.

The moment the unicorn caught sight of them Harry saw relief and hope in its intelligent equine eyes as it stopped trotting and began to limp towards them. Harry caught the sight of a very nasty gash that ran the length of its leg, deep enough to make silvery blood gush out of it, but it wasn't immediately lethal. The unicorn stopped moving once it was roughly in the middle of the clearing and it let itself fall on its stomach with a pained huff.

The unicorn was now laying roughly in between him and Tina and what had Harry still on edge was the fact that Tina was still growling and snarling in the direction from where the unicorn had come from and was now even standing protectively in front of the unicorn. Since she wasn't hissing in the language they shared, Harry couldn't understand her but by know he knew her enough that he could get the gist of the message she was trying to convey: come forward and you'll be sharing my interrupted meal's fate.

Suddenly Harry felt his ring burning and he turned towards the source of the Legilimency attack only for his eyes to widen when… something wearing a dark cloak that covered its entire body and the upper half of its face glided eerily into the clearing. From what Harry could see the thing had human like hands and lower face, but its skin was ashen, its nails black and its teeth rotten.

 _§Ah.§_ Harry almost recoiled when he heard the thing hissing in ethereal Parseltongue. Harry also noted that its mouth had not moved, which made it even worse. _§What do we have here? The disgusting beast that I gave to that dumb half-giant that has hatched since then and…§_

Harry prepared his magic. It was obvious that this was the… thing… that was after the Philospher's Stone going by what it had said but Harry was unsettled further when it had suddenly paused as it turned to regard him.

 _§YOU! KILL HIM, QUIRINUS! AVENGE YOUR MASTER! PROVE YOUR LOYALTY TO LORD VOLDEMORT! KILL HARRY POTTER!§_

Harry's eyes widened in disbelief as the thing suddenly shot towards him at speeds that reminded him of cats fleeing from voracious dogs that were out to eat them. He only had time to get a glimpse of Quirinus Quirrell's ashen and disfigured face appearing as the hood of the cloak was blown away due to the speed it was moving before he jumped out of the way of the incoming thing that was really Quirinus Quirrell.

Harry shot to his feet and his eyes widened when he saw the face that was on the back of Quirrell's head. It had red eyes, no nose, a lipless mouth and its teeth ware sharp, like a shark's. The face glared at him with so much hatred that Harry took a few steps back as the thing floated in place almost lazily. "What in the hell…" muttered Harry in shock as he stared took a few steps back. He idly noted that Tina was standing protectively in front of the unicorn, snarling at whatever the hell the thing in front of them was.

 _§Can you see what you have done to me, Harry Potter? A mere shadow of my former, glorious self. I gave been reduced to sharing the body of dear Quirinus to experience semblance of existence… al because of you!§_ The face of Voldemort hissed with hatred as he stared directly into Harry's eyes. His ring burned and Harry watched with satisfaction as it recoiled slightly, grimacing in pain. The face snarled. _§No matter! I will finish what your meddlesome mother prevented me from doing! I will kill you myself now before you become a torn in my side in the future!§_

With its piece said Harry jumped slightly when he heard Quirrell's voice screaming in pain as the head of the body shook around sharply. Harry's eyes widened further when he heard bones snapping and grinding, a sick sound that had Harry's stomach churning. The arms and legs covered by the cloak shifted around until they were now positioned to make it look like Voldemort was the owner of the body.

Quirrell's voice was panting in pain and exhaustion. The face of Voldemort gave a deep sigh and chuckled in sick amusement. _§Bear with the discomfort for a moment, dear Quirinus. I will deal with Harry Potter in a moment. But I will have to punish you for being so foolish as to leave your wand in your office, §_ said the face as it flexed its fingers and rolled its neck.

"Ye-yes, Master. I u-understand. Fo-forgive me-me," replied the wheezing voice of Quirrell.

That was enough for Harry. With snap of his arm and a cry of " _Repulso!"_ he sent the strongest Knock-Back Jinx he had ever used, even strongest that the one he used against the troll since he had been building up his magic for a few long moments now.

Voldemort's eyes widened and a smile appeared on his face as he raised his arms, Quirrell's voice groaning in pained protest, and he seemingly braced himself against the rippling force of energy twice the size of Voldemort that Harry had sent his way. When the spell reached him, Harry was shocked to see that Voldemort was only knocked back a few feet, instead of being sent back flaying with neck snapping force.

Voldemort chuckled maliciously, with a hint of danger and anger. _§My… so much power! I dare say not even I when I was your age wielded that amount of power! But… that won't be enough!§_ Voldemort snarled and he was about to motion with his hand but he was forced to glide away to evade a fireball almost as big as him that would have burned him to the ground. Voldemort turned towards Tina, from whose nostrils and the spaces between fangs black smoke was coming out as she snarled in anger at Voldemort. _§You foul beast! Know your place!§_

"Keep it up, Tina!" Shouted Harry in encouragement and before Voldemort could do something to the dragon he used his wand more easily to conjure dozens a dozen of stones twice the size of his feet. He kept them floating in front of him using psychokinesis and flicked his wand towards them. The stones turned from having uneven shapes to have roughly the shape of an arrowhead. Another flick of his wrist and they were flying directly at his foe.

Voldemort snarled and raised his hand, palm facing the incoming arrowheads. _§You, insolent child! You dare wield magic against ME?!§_ Before Harry's stack came in close the stones that would've hit Voldemort disintegrated into nothing and the others passed harmlessly by his sides. Before he could gloat and rub his superiority in Harry's face he was forced to once again fly away from another fireball courtesy of Tina. Voldemort turned towards it. _§Begone! §_

Harry saw the red spell leaving Voldemort's hand and even though he knew that adult dragons were almost immune to direct magical attacks that hit their hides he was not about to let Tina take a direct hit like that because she was a baby. He also knew that she wasn't going to move out of the way since she was clearly protecting the injured unicorn. With an upwards motion with his entire arm a wall of earth rose protectively in front of Tina and took the dangerous looking spell with a small explosion that almost destroyed it completely.

 _§You are starting to anger me, boy! §_ Hissed Voldemort with hate as he turned towards Harry only for his eyes to widen as he saw a fireball even bigger than the one the dragon had produced only a few feet away from him. Voldemort only had time to cover his face and he shouted in pain as his arms and the rest of his body were burned. He also heard Quirrell screaming in agony but that was unimportant now. He slowly lowered is burned arms and his red eyes gleamed as he glared at Harry with a pained snarl on his monstrous face. _§Enough!§_

Faster than what Harry could react Voldemort's arm lashed out and a ripple of force was sent in Tina's direction, completely destroying the wall easily and sending Tina flying away with a yelp of surprise and pain, leaving the softly whining unicorn unprotected for the first time. Voldemort turned towards Harry and with a snarl of hatred he pointed both of his hands in Harry's direction and they began to glow with an ominous reddish-orange color.

 _§Be known to death, Boy-Who-Lived!§_ Snarled Voldemort with sick glee as he made to push the spell he generated in his hand and Harry readied himself to jump out of the way. It was not to be, however, as Voldemort was suddenly hit with an arc of white lightning that seemingly came out of nowhere. Voldemort and Quirrell both shrieked with unholy agony as white arcs of lightning ran through their already damaged body.

Harry ignored the smell of burnt ozone and flesh that suddenly reached and he turned towards direction from which the lightning had come from and his eyes widened when he saw the unicorn standing up, panting and glaring bloody murder at Voldemort. White arcs of electricity ran the length of its horn and it neighed vehemently in Voldemort's direction as it stood imperiously in its two hinds legs. Harry noticed that the cut in its leg had healed somewhat already.

Not wanting to waste the opportunity Harry turned towards the twitching Voldemort and with a glare from his brightly glowing green eyes he raised his wand above his head and pointing away from him in a forty-five degrees angle. " _DIFFINDO!"_ He shouted/snarled as he brought his wand down diagonally inf front of him, channeling as much magic as he could while putting all his intent to harm Voldemort into the spell.

A visible arc of cutting magic the color and the shape of the crescent moon shot forward and reached Voldemort in the blink of an eye and continued forward, cutting trees and leaving a visible, but very thin, indent in the ground that matched the trajectory of the spell. Harry panted in exhaustion and he looked from the smoking tip of his almost uncomfortably warm wand to the now frozen-in-place Quirrellmort.

 _§How… surprising…§_ muttered Voldemort flatly before the body he was possessing was separated from shoulder to hip, the two halves falling to the ground with a wet thud as Quirrell's deteriorated organs spilled to the floor accompanied shortly by his coagulated and blackened and pus-filled blood.

It was a disgusting and disturbing sight. That, accompanied with the smell, had Harry vomiting to the ground in front of where he was kneeling. When his lunch was completely out of his system Harry looked up and his eyes widened when he saw what was clearly Voldemort's spirit rising from the bifurcated corpse. The spirit coalesced into a uneven form but Harry could clearly make out the face of Voldemort.

The thing screeched in unholy rage as it glared at him with hatred.

Harry glared right back with defiance.

The stalemate continued for a few more seconds until an arc of lightning and a ball of fire forced the spirit to fly away into the darkness of the Forbidden Forest. Harry turned towards the source and he smiled, more like grimaced as he was starting to feel lightheaded because of the exhaustion he was experiencing, as he saw Tina hurriedly scrambling towards him, worry clear in her intelligent reptilian eyes.

 _§Are you well, Speaker-Friend?§_ She hissed kindly and Harry smirked weakly as he saw her visibly restraining herself from physically making sure that he was. Her spikes could harm him and any affectionate nip could send him into a poison induced coma… or worse. Thankfully he and Hagrid had nipped that issue in the bud and now she no longer went for hugs unless it was Hagrid, who as half-giant was many times more resistant to Tina's poison and spikes than Harry.

Harry nodded at her slowly. _§Yeah. I am well. I'm just tired. That thing, whatever the hell it was, didn't hit me. Thank you for your help, Tina,_ _§_ said Harry in Parseltongue as he slowly regained his breath, already feeling his magic core beginning to fill up again.

Tina cocked her head to the side. _§I am glad, Speaker-Friend. I don't know how I would have been able to face Mother-Hagrid had you been injured in my watch, no matter how powerful how abomination was. To think there still exist beings that willingly to kill a Pure One…§_

Harry tilted his head to the side and his brow furrowed in confusion. "A Pure One?" He asked and that was when he finally noticed the presence of the unicorn. The magnificent and almost ethereal looking horned equine was looking down at him with kind and happy eyes. Harry's eyes flicked towards the injured leg and Harry noticed that it was almost entirely healed, though its leg was still covered in its faintly glowing silver blood. Harry locked eyes with the unicorn and bowed his head as he stood. "I'm glad you are fine and that you are out of danger," he said graciously.

The unicorn neighed happily and jumped lightly in face. Harry laughed and he reached with one hand to run his hand through the magnificent mane of ghostly white hair that contrasted beautifully with the just slightly darker fur of the rest of its body. The unicorn snorted and it lowered its head to let Harry pet it more easily. Harry ignored how close the point of the foot-long horn was close to his chest.

Also, because he was standing at an angle that he couldn't see what was happening at the unicorn's other side. Tina, however, could but she said nothing as the silver blood of the unicorn began to flow upwards the body of the unicorn and it reached its horn, covering entirely. Harry didn't notice this because he was too busy admiring the beauty of the rest of the unicorn. He did notice, however, when lightning sparked across the length of now completely silver horn.

Harry's eyes widened. "Um, wha-!"

The unicorn neighed happily and pressed the tip of its horn into Harry's chest, easily tearing through his robes and shirt and going into him. Harry flinched and recoiled but strangely enough he couldn't move further than that and there was no excruciating pain coming from his chest. He heard the snap of lightning again and he looked down to see the white arcs of electricity running across the length of the horn as what he recognized as it blood went into him, leaving the horn looking as it did before.

Harry shuddered as he felt as if cold water was running through his veins for a moment. The unicorn then pulled back and Harry looked down, only for his eyes to widen when he saw that there wasn't even a sign that he had just been essentially stabbed in the chest by a unicorn. The impossibly white equine snorted happily again before he nudged him affectionately with his nuzzle before it turned around and disappeared, running at speeds that made Harry wonder how Quirrellmort had managed to injure it in the first place.

 _§Speaker-Friend! You have just been blessed by a Pure One! This is unprecedented! §_

Harry turned towards the suddenly giddy dragon only for her to perk up as she turned towards the opposite side from where the unicorn had disappeared to. Not a moment later a frantic Hagrid appeared, holding a lantern in one hand and his charged crossbow in the other. Fang appeared a few seconds later after him. Hagrid looked with wide eyes from the bifurcated corpse that rested in the middle of the clearing, to the giddy Tina to a visibly tired Harry.

"What in the blood hell happened?" He blurted out, his voice coming out in a pitch that had no business coming out from a man his size.

"Um," Harry hesitated for a moment before he nervously spoke. "You might want to call my head of house, Professor Flitwick, and DMLE Director, Madame Amelia Bones. I believe I have quite the tale for them," said Harry with a straight face, but his wavering eyes and unsure voice gave away his true feelings on the matter.

Tina, for her part, yipped in agreement.

Fang barked.

Hagrid wanted to faint.

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

Sorry once again for the delay. I'm still dealing with my internet issues. I promise you that as soon as I sort them out I will be back to updating weekly. And if I can't manage that I will start updating biweekly at the very least.

I hope you liked the changes I made to canon and the reasons why Harry didn't involve his friends with the obviously dangerous investigation. I promise you, however, that from now on things won't be like that. Something like this Harry just can't downplay it or pass it under the rug. You will see what I mean on the next chapter when we deal of the aftermath of Quirrell's death in a setting that is impossible for Dumbledore cover it.

A few references and clues to what is to come in the future here and there, some hidden cleverly (I think) and other not so much throughout the length of the chapter. I hope you caught them and if you did, I want you to tell me what they mean for the future.

Hope you liked the interactions and the fight scene at the end. Keep in mind that Harry only came out victorious because he had Tina at his side and the unexpected intervention of the unicorn. Had Harry been alone Quirrellmort would've easily killed him. That and the fact that Voldemort was very angry at seeing the one behind his current sorry state after ten years. That tends to have a negative effect on someone, you see.

All Hail the Mighty Muffin for the blessing of its flavor is truly a gift from being higher than us.


End file.
